


An Adventure

by TheBeeThatHums



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Amused Gandalf, Angry Elrond, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bilbo Baggins Has the Patience of a Saint, Bilbo Has Issues, Bilbo has a crush, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotionally Constipated Thorin, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fíli and Kíli Are Little Shits, Fíli and Kíli Brotherly Love, Gandalf Is So Done, Gandalf Meddles, Gandalf Ships It, Horses, It's Always Gandalf's Fault, Oblivious Bilbo, Poor Bilbo, Protective Fíli, Read has a complicated past, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, Sassy Gandalf, Thorin Is an Idiot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-19 01:10:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 28,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17591894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeeThatHums/pseuds/TheBeeThatHums
Summary: Bilbo decides to join the Dwarves on their quest to regain Erebor after Gandalf's young apprentice makes a strong first impression. Life on the road is difficult but the friendship slowly grows into something more.





	1. Chapter 1

There was a knock at the door of what was normally a quiet hobbit hole in the peaceful green Shire. Bilbo steeled himself for what might be on the other side seeing as his kitchen was already filled with thirteen dwarves and wizard who had arrived at his home in much the same manner. He did not expect what he found on the other side of the door in the slightest, his eyes going wide as they trailed over the newest arrival.

You stood only a few inches taller than him in a long very dark purple cloak that fell completely around your form to entirely conceal what lied beneath, your hair pulled back into a loose knot at the nape of your neck.

You offered him a small, secretive grin, “I do hope they haven’t caused too much trouble for you Mr. Baggins, I find that dwarves easily forget their manners, if they even had any to begin with.”

He was still sort of just staring at you but you didn’t seem to notice, pulling off your cloak to offer a small bow, “(F/n)(L/n) at your service. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

He just sort of nodded as you folded your cloak over your arm carefully, not wanting to burden your host with it, and a pair of voices rang out behind him, “(F/n)! When did you get here?”

Fili and Kili had already pushed past him to sweep you into a sandwich hug as you answered, “Just now,” with a giggle.

They pulled away to frown at you and Kili noted, “You’ve missed dinner.”

You let out a lilting laugh the seemed almost like music to Bilbo’s ears and then offered, “As long as you still have some lager and a cup of tea, I’ll manage just fine.”

“I believe that can be arranged. You’re late.” Gandalf stated ducking his head to join you in entry room just as Fili took your cloak from you and threw it at Bilbo, causing it to fall over his head.

“Fili!” you hissed, shooting him a glare as you turned to tug your cloak from Bilbo’s face.

When you had finally freed him of it, you reached forward to straighten his hair, “Please accept my apologies, Mr. Baggins. They really aren’t all that bad when you get to know them.”

You flashed him a quick grin and then spun to throw your arms around Gandalf’s neck, taking full advantage of the fact that he had to stoop in the small hallways of the hobbit hole, “Hello Gandalf.”

He chuckled opting to pat your back rather than attempt to return your hug in the small space, “Hello, my dear. Now that you’re here we can properly begin.”

You released him to frown, “Am I the last?”

Gandalf nodded as Kili teased, “Even Thorin managed to make it here before you.”

“What was so important you had to keep us waiting?” Fili added, playfully poking your side.

You giggled, batting him away, “I had some business to take care of that took a bit longer than I would have liked.”

Gandalf quirked an eyebrow at you, “You didn’t run into any trouble I hope.”

You offered him a wide grin, “I would say that trouble ran into me, regretfully so on its part.”

Before he could answer, you had bounded into the other room, Fili and Kili close behind, and were offering greetings to the rest of the dwarves. Bilbo took a moment to look you over. Now that your cloak was off, he could see you were wearing a long cream tunic with two loose belts thrown around your waist to keep it from riding up and dark gray form-fitting pants tucked into lightweight but hefty looking boots. There was a short sword on either hip and rune-covered wristlets on both your wrists.

Your features were delicate and your form slender, so he reasoned that you likely weren’t a dwarf, your size ruled out you being an elf, and you certainly weren’t a hobbit with tiny feet like that. Human, was the conclusion he came to, a very short human.

When you came to Thorin, you bowed deeply, “My apologies for holding you up, Thorin, please do begin without me as I will only be a minute.”

He inclined his head toward you indicating you were forgiven and you returned to the entryway passing Gandalf in the doorway as you went. You gave Bilbo a little push toward the company, “You’ll want to hear this bit.”

He furrowed his brow at you but did as you requested, going to stand behind Thorin, and you quickly kneeled to pull off your boots before removing your swords and placing one in each boot, point down.

When Bilbo glanced at you as he moved to provide more light to the group at the table, you were gently placing your muddy boots next to the door where they wouldn't make any more of a mess and then scooped up some of the fallen cloaks and coats from the floor to hang them on the nearby hooks. A small smile made its way to his face as he thought to himself, ‘Finally someone with manners.’

He returned to the table with a candle and nearly dropped it when you padded up silently behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, muffling a giggle at his reaction with the other. Gandalf gave you a look that said be serious but there was a small smile playing at his lips and you settled in between him and Dwalin.

You observed quietly for the rest of the conversation on the lonely mountain and its winged guardian, you’d heard it all before and watching Bilbo and the dwarves was far more informative.

It wasn’t until Gandalf finished roaring about Bilbo’s worth as a burglar that you spoke up, “I agree with Gandalf. When given a chance, Mr. Baggins will make a fantastic burglar.”

Dori piped up, “Why can’t you be our burglar?”

“Dori’s right! (F/n) is dangerously light on her feet.” came a call from Fili.

“And she can handle a weapon,” added Ori.

You were shaking your head, looking to Gandalf for help, “I’m afraid I am far less suited to the job than you believe. The dragon would sense my presence almost immediately.”

The dwarves began to argue over the validity of this until Thorin slammed his fist on the table, “Gandalf has chosen the hobbit. He shall be our burglar and that is final.”

Bilbo looked over the contract with Bofur explaining incineration to him and you could see the hobbit start to wobble, hissing at Bofur, “Quit it would you? You’re frightening the poor man.”

You had just taken a step towards Bilbo when he fainted and you dropped to your knees to pull him into your lap, glaring at the dwarf, “Was that really necessary, Bofur?”

Bilbo came too to a pair of silver-flecked eyes looking down at him with concern and for a moment wondered if he was dreaming until you asked, “Are you alright, Bilbo?”

One of the dwarves hefted him up and Gandalf offered you a hand so that you could gracefully lift yourself from the floor and then usher Bilbo to a chair. You left him with Gandalf, hoping to keep the dwarves from causing any more trouble while he convinced him to come along on your adventure. You frowned when he walked off a moment later, looking to Gandalf with questioning eyes, he gave his head a single shake in response and you sighed, going to the window in the kitchen to look out and think.

When Bilbo stirred the next morning his house was empty, every single room without hide or hair of a dwarf except for the signed contract on a small table next to a heaping plate of honey cakes with a note tucked underneath it- “Your hospitality and consideration were much appreciated. I offer my gratitude and best wishes for your future on behalf of the entire company. – (F/n) (L/n)”

He ran a finger over the elegant swirls of your signature and then looked to the signed contract, making a sudden decision.

He was going on an adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this could be considered filler because nothing happens... Except for Gandalf sass. He is a true sass master. A few lines towards the end are taken directly from the movie so credit to the Hobbit peeps.

You were laying on the back of your large black point dun gelding, using his neck as a backrest so you could look up at the sky when Bilbo caught up to the company. A wide smile spread across your face and you slipped from your high perch to greet him with a question, “You’ve decided to join us?” 

He nodded, still trying to catch his breath, and you swept him into a hug as you exclaimed, “Fantastic!” 

He was unsure of how to respond to your sudden affection but it didn’t matter as you quickly released him to give a wicked grin to the company of dwarves behind you, “Pay up!” 

There were a number of coins tossed in your direction as Gandalf chuckled and Bilbo gawked, “You wagered on whether or not I would come?” 

You offered him a grin and a wink, “I had faith you would join us before the day was out and they did not.” 

Thorin waved a hand, “Give him a pony.” 

He protested that he could walk and you offered, “Blossom could easily carry us both if you’d like to ride with me, Mr. Baggins.” 

He shook his head and found himself lifted onto a shaggy pony as you shrugged “Suit yourself.” 

The company was already moving out, leaving you and Blossom behind but certainly not for long as you gracefully swung yourself back to where you had been and then set off at a trot to place yourself next Bilbo with Gandalf on his other side. 

Gandalf offered you a smile before looking to Bilbo, “(F/n) and I never doubted you for a second, my dear fellow.” 

He looked from Gandalf to you and you grinned at him from your place balanced cross-legged on Blossom’s back, he wondered how you ended up with this company and was about to ask you when Bofur called your name. You shouted back, “Coming!” before urging your horse forward to see what he wanted and, more importantly, steal his hat. 

Bilbo watched you go with curiosity-filled eyes and Gandalf noticed, “She’s quite something, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Bilbo nodded, “You have something to do with her being here don’t you?”

Gandalf smiled as you leapt to stand up on the back of your horse to keep the hat on your head away from its owner, “(F/n) is here because I am here, as an apprentice should be.” 

Bilbo turned to look at the wizard, “Apprentice?” 

Gandalf gave a secretive smile as he nodded, “Like you, there is far more to her than meets the eye.” 

Bilbo’s eyes found you again, you had paused your antics, still standing balanced on Blossom’s back, to look out over the horizon with a thoughtful look on your face. You plopped the hat back on Bofur’s head as you sank to sit cross-legged again with a grin and Bilbo wondered what you were thinking. 

It wasn’t until they stopped for the night that he got to speak to you again. He was sneaking his pony, Myrtle, an apple when a soft giggle erupted behind him, he turned to find you, your face lit by the silvery light of the moon. You pressed a finger to your lips and handed him a carrot before returning to your task: braiding Blossom’s soft black mane from atop the rock he was standing by. 

He gave Myrtle the carrot and then hopped up to sit next to you, admiring the complex network of braids you had created before turning to admire something entirely different. The light of the moon suited you, making your features more striking and catching in your hair to give you a sort of halo. 

Letting the braid you were working on fall from your hands, you turned to offer him a soft smile, quietly inquiring, “Can’t sleep?” 

He shook his head, “What about you?” 

You sighed happily, “I like the night. The stars and the moon. It seems such a waste to sleep through something so beautiful.” 

He looked up at the large round full moon, “I suppose you’re right.” 

He caught you giving a small yawn before you folded your arms behind your head to look up at the sky, tugging at his sleeve for him to join you. When he did, you began pointing out constellations in the night sky to him, telling him the tales behind each one, as he listened and asked questions every so often. 

He had nearly fallen asleep to the soft sound of your voice when a shrieking from below had you both bolting up from your place on the rock. You went in the opposite direction of him as he bounced toward the fire and you went to the furthest pony, eyes scanning the space beyond it for any sign of orcs as you fingered the hilt of one of your concealed daggers. 

You hushed the ponies, pulling them closer to your group and your and Gandalf's two large horses before returning to the fire in time to hear Fili and Kili trying to scare Bilbo. They saw your approach, a smirk crossing Kili’s face, and he nudged his brother just as you placed a hand on Bilbo’s shoulder, causing him to jump, and then leaned to whisper, “Don’t let them scare you. We are prepared for the worst should it arise.” 

Fili and Kili would have been disappointed that you didn’t use your stealth to spook him if they weren’t already being scolded by Thorin and Gandalf called to you, “(F/n).” 

You removed your hand from Bilbo’s shoulder to look to your mentor, silently communicating with him as he gave you a concerned look and you gave him a reassuring but wary nod. This topic hit a little close to home. Bilbo watched the exchange with curiosity and you slunk away toward Blossom as Balin began to tell the story of Thorin Oakenshield and the battle of Moria. 

You watched Bilbo and the others listen from your place spread out on Blossom’s wide bare back, your keen ears alert for any foreign sound. You liked the dwarves and you wanted them to succeed, they deserved a home. That was your last thought before you unwittingly drifted off to sleep. 

The next day was rainy and despite grumbling from the dwarves, your spirits were unbelievably high. Gandalf gave a small knowing smile as you let the rain completely soak you with a series of secretive giggles, hopping off Blossom to disappear into the wooded area nearby only to pop up a bit later to throw yourself back on his back.

It wasn’t until you were good and drenched and slightly exhausted from your little excursions that you threw your cloak over your shoulders and urged Blossom to catch up to Gandalf and Bilbo. The hobbit jumped when a heavy but warm weight hit his shoulders and was about to look up when his vision was obscured by a hood that very effectively blocked out the rain being pulled up over his head. 

He lifted his eyes and found you leaning precariously over to look at him with a grin, wet locks clinging to your cheeks, “You looked rather cold, Bilbo. I hope you don’t mind.” 

He offered you a smile, tugging your extra cloak tight around himself, “Not at all. Thank you, (F/n).” 

You let out a pleased hum, holding your hand out to let the rain gather in it as Gandalf refused a dwarves request to end it, “It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done.” 

You let out a smooth and musical laugh, “Without rain nothing grows, Dori. It is life-bringing weather. Enjoy it.” 

Gandalf chuckled before adding, “If you wish to change the weather of the world you should find yourself another wizard.” 

Bilbo raised a curious eyebrow at this, “Are there any?” 

“Any what?” 

“Other wizards.” 

Gandalf nodded and set into naming the other four wizards of the five that exist ending with Radagast the Brown. You grinned widely, “Radagast is a fantastic wizard. A little odd I’ll give you that but I like him all the same.” 

Gandalf nodded, “Of course you do, my dear girl. You share his affinity for the forest and its inhabitants.” 

You chuckled, looking to Bilbo, “Yes but I much prefer the company of others to that of animals when given a choice.”

Gandalf gave you a small smirk, “That, my dear, is why you are my apprentice and not his.” 

Bilbo looked up at you from under his hood, he knew he had a friend in you but you were still shrouded in so much mystery, so much for him to still discover, and he found himself welcoming the challenge.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LULULULU Look you made a new friend. This lacked dialogue and was super general and I'm sorry. The next chapter is the Troll scene and mega drama so I hope that will make up for it.

Bilbo watched you closely over the next few days of travel; you had insisted he keep your extra cloak after the rain, stating that it was slightly too short for you anyways and the color, a rich forest green, suited him better.

It seemed you had a good relationship with each of the dwarves and even Thorin seemed to view you with some respect, but you preferred the company of Fili and Kili, as you enjoyed their enthusiasm and playful attitudes, and Balin, who was always willing to lend a listening ear, tell a tale of old, or offer some advice.

Now that didn’t mean you ignored the others. Dwalin often asked you to spar and, though you always refused, you would gladly referee for anyone else who wanted to practice, when you weren’t stealing his hat, Bofur taught you to carve small gears to make little moving toys, and you often helped Bombur with the food, chatting away about what spices went with what.

The thing that surprised Bilbo was that you spent a good amount of time with him. At first, you would pull him into whatever fun you were having or invite him to join your thoughtful conversations with others and then one day you found him on the edge of camp looking out over the rolling green hills and plopped down next to him.

You followed his gaze for a moment and then gave him a shy grin, “Tell me, Bilbo, what was it like growing up in Bag End?”

He was surprised by your question and thought maybe you were playfully teasing him as you often did but when he searched your face, there was genuine curiosity radiating from your eternally intelligent eyes. You listened with childlike interest as he spoke of his childhood, giggling at his jokes and funny memories and nodding seriously at the darker ones.

He meant to ask you about your own youth but Fili and Kili had other ideas, bounding over to pull you up and whisper in your ear, you grinned widely and then feigned seriousness, “I very much appreciate you sharing with me, Bilbo, but I’m afraid there is something of the utmost importance I must attend to.”

This turned out to be drawing a series of designs in ink on a sleeping Dwalin’s bald head. Bilbo couldn’t help but smile as you exchanged gleeful looks with the two young dwarves upon finishing your work, soft chuckles resounding from approving dwarves and head shakes from those who thought your antics childish but knew they kept the mood on the road light.

Balin laughed lightly as you gracefully settled in next to him, “Your handiwork may have improved his appearance, child, but I doubt he will be happy when he wakes.”

You puffed out your cheeks, “As long as no one tells him, it could be days before he figures it out.”

Balin nodded in agreement before gesturing to a snickering Fili and Kili, “True but I believe those two will give it away long before then.”

You chuckled, “Perhaps, but should that happen the blame will be squarely placed on their own shoulders.”

Balin raised a questioning eyebrow at you and you lifted your hands to show him that your fingers were completely clean unlike those of the dwarf brothers, which were covered in incriminating ink.

Balin grinned, “Clever girl. You never cease to surprise me.”

You flashed him your customary grin, “One does not spend as much time as I have with Gandalf and not learn a trick or two.”

Bilbo moved towards the fire and you waved him over, patting the place next to you, so he joined you and Balin in a serious conversation about the applications of some medicinal herb or other. Bilbo listened intently, adding in information when he could, he was well read after all, but his attention often wandered elsewhere, to you.

You were a difficult individual to pin down, one minute you were innocent and curious, then playful and devious, and then completely serious, your intellect almost overpowering. You could bounce from cheerful and playful to deadly serious and back quicker than he could blink. He couldn’t make sense of it and finally concluded that it was part of what made you who you are and in the end, you always knew what type of behavior the situation called for.

After that day it became common for one of you to seek out the other just to chat or to come up with some activity to entertain yourselves on the long road. It wasn’t really any different than the friendships you had with any of the dwarves and certainly couldn’t compare to your relationship with Gandalf, but it was something all the same and he enjoyed it. It allowed him to discover more about you.

You never talked directly about your past but if he asked you would gladly tell him of your adventures with Gandalf and the things you had seen and you were always eager to show him new things, from a plant that captured it pray with a net-like appendage to the curious shape of a particular cloud. He shared things with you as well, offering up his memories and tales from his books that you seemed to enjoy just as much as they intrigued you. You were quick to sweep him into a hug when happy or to playfully tease him to bring his spirits up when down and, while at first the familiarity had made him a little uncomfortable, he had grown to accept it, to enjoy it even.

It was a good friendship he decided one afternoon as he watched you chatting away with Gandalf about something he would likely never understand, a wide grin plastered across your face. A good friendship indeed.  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a lot in one sitting so gear up. I always thought it was kind of ridiculous that they let Bilbo to get the ponies without any sort of weapon... Credit where credit is due for a bit of dialogue in the middle, thank you warner brothers and hobbit people.

Things took a turn for the worse when Thorin made the decision to stop for the evening in a place that Gandalf specifically disapproved of. You stuck close to your mentor and found yourself agreeing with him, this place gave you a bad feeling. There was nothing odd about that as you normally agreed with Gandalf, it was what happened next that drew the interest of many of the company.

As soon as Thorin began to curse the elves and all their kind you spun and walked off, Gandalf looking after you worriedly before continuing his conversation with Thorin. None of them, aside from probably Gandalf, had ever seen you that way, the expression on your face pained and dejected as you completely ignored Fili, Kili, Balin, and even Bilbo.

You found a tree, grabbed the bottom branch, and swung up into it with ease, climbing to the very top to sulk on a fat branch.

“What do you suppose that was about?” Bilbo asked Balin, looking at your leafy refuge. 

 

The dwarf didn’t have a chance to answer before Gandalf angrily stalked off and Bilbo asked a new question, “Everything all right?  ...Gandalf where are you going?”

“To seek the company of the only one around here who’s got any sense.”

“And who is that?”

“Myself, Mr. Baggins”

He approached his horse as you practically threw yourself from the tree, rolling to your feet when you hit the ground to set off towards him at a run, “Gandalf?”

You stopped a few yards away as the wizard turned and his face softened, the two of you communicating in that silent way you had before you gave a curt nod and the two of you headed in opposite directions- Gandalf towards his horse and you back toward camp.

“Is he coming back?” Bilbo questioned Balin, spinning to ask you the same question, “(F/n) is he coming back?”

Your voice was cutting as you answered, “I do not know. Probably. I’m to keep an eye on the company until either he does or he summons me.”

You grabbed Blossom’s reigns and tugged him to the outer edge of the camp- away from the dwarves, ponies, and the fire- to where you wouldn’t be disturbed but were also within earshot of a yell. Bilbo took a step toward you but Balin stopped him, “Give her some space, laddie. Whatever’s got her like this is weighing on her mind heavily, likely even more so now that Gandalf is gone.”

He looked over at you, you were definitely giving off an aura that said leave-me-alone-or-there-will-be-trouble but he couldn’t help but think of the hurt he’d seen in your face before. He looked back at Balin and decided he was likely right, if you wanted space then they should give it to you.

It was dark before long and you sat on Blossom’s back, scanning the horizon for signs of Gandalf or anything less friendly. Your living chair whinnied when Bilbo came near with food and, before he could even offer, you bluntly stated, “I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat, (F/n).” he countered.

“No, I don’t. Give it to Bombur.”

Bilbo sighed, from the tone of your voice he could tell there was no convincing you otherwise, and turned to go back to the camp. You felt a little bad for being so harsh with him but it was only for a moment as other thoughts settled in to plague your mind.

You slid off Blossom’s back quietly and pulled a comb and a fresh set of clothes from your pack as well as a soft bristled brush for Blossom’s coat. You might as well take care of yourself and your hooved friend in order to take your mind off things as sulking wasn’t doing anyone any good.

You ducked behind a rock to change your clothes to a soft gray shirt with a wide neck and long sleeves tucked into a pair of high-waisted black pants that fit you loosely. You tugged your hair down from its bun and shook it out, letting out a content hum as you ran your fingers through it and then carefully used the comb to pull out every knot that had made its way into the soft locks.

You left it down, confident no one would disturb you, and then began your work on Blossom, the big black point dun letting out a pleased nicker followed by a content sigh as you rubbed circles into his coat with the brush. You giggled, he was like you in a lot of ways and a little attention went a long way.

It wasn’t until you heard the rustle of brush and leaned to see Fili and Kili bolting out of the forest that you knew something was up. You quickly twisted your hair into a very sloppy bun and scooped up your short swords to bound over to the fire where Kili quickly spotted you, “We’ve got a problem.”

You froze, “Where’s Bilbo?”

Kili made a face, “That’s kind of the problem.”

You slapped both of them across the back of the head hard after they told you what had happened, them sending Bilbo to retrieve the ponies from the trolls, and scolded, “Are you stupid? He doesn’t even have a knife.”

You turned and walked off into the forest calling, “Come on then.”

In the battle that quickly ensued, you hung near the edges, keeping yourself out of sight as you hurled your many daggers at the trolls while wishing you had a brought the bow and arrows you usually carried. You were quick on your feet and skilled with a sword, one in each hand even, but you needed to keep from being caught if the worst came to pass, which of course it did, and a ranged weapon would have been useful. 

You were still hidden behind a nearby tree downwind when the trolls caught Bilbo and threatened to rip him apart. You cursed the dwarves and their mothers and their mother’s mothers before trying to formulate a plan. You just had to keep them busy till morning when the sun’s rays would turn them to stone the question was how.

Despite the situation, you couldn’t help but give a wide grin as Bilbo seemed to have the same thought, your friend was indeed quite clever. Unfortunately the dwarves not so much, they couldn’t see what Bilbo was trying to do as he gave the trolls advice on how to cook dwarves. It didn't really matter as you came up with a plan of your own, if you could keep them looking for you with quick jabs of your swords before disappearing into the forest again they would be kept busy enough to leave the dwarves be and forget about the approaching light of dawn.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONFLICT! 

You were so intensely focused on aiding your party that you missed Gandalf creeping along the ridge as you crept forward to stab the leg of the troll about to eat Bombor, causing him to drop him as you darted back into the shadows. 

“There's summin’ else out ‘ere,” the troll said after he yelped, his hand going to the new wound you’d given him. You quickly darted out and stabbed another in the arm causing him to yelp as well and then turn to Bilbo with narrowed eyes, “Is ‘ere more of you, burglehobbit?” 

“Wait I smell summat… human,” said another and you silently cursed yourself for not noticing when the direction of the wind changed. The first troll, and likely the smartest of the bunch, smacked his friend on the back of the head as he sniffed the air, “Human you say. Smells more like elf.” 

The dwarves fell silent, interested in this bit of information as they realized you were the only one not with them at the moment. The third troll chuckled dumbly, licking his lips, “I like elf.” 

The first sniffed the air again as you tried in vain to move downwind and then let out a roaring laugh, “No there's more dwarf smell too… it’s a disgustin' mutt. Their mixed blood makes them taste so good tho'. What a rare treat.”  

You had frozen at the word mutt, your eye twitching in anger, you hated being called that and it was one of the few things that almost instantaneously brought out your temper. You tried to keep calm, there were more important things to focus on right now, but the troll called it out loudly again, “Hey Mutt, you deliciously dirty thing… Show yerself Mutt or your dwarf friends won't even need ta be cooked.” 

“Yeah, Mutt.” The other two chimed in. 

It was an empty threat, you knew it, and you should have just continued with your plan but your anger got the better of you. You lost it, springing from your place without thinking as you threw one of your last daggers into the leader troll’s eye, seething “Say that again to my face, you slime!” 

 

He bellowed, clutching at his face, and in your anger, you rushed forward only to be taken up by your foot by one of the other trolls you'd temporarily forgotten about. Now upside down, your hair loosed from its poorly fastened knot and cascaded towards the ground, revealing the sharp point of your ears that you were always so careful to keep covered. 

You kicked and struggled against the troll's grasp as he lifted you to his face, “Put me down, you overgrown worm.” 

The troll poked you with a fat finger, “Well would ya look at tha'. It’s a She-Mutt.” 

You spat in his face, much to the horror of Bilbo and the dwarves who knew that the troll could easily crush you or bash you into the ground in seconds, a fact you either hadn't thought of or simply didn't care about. Luckily the Troll didn’t have time to retaliate before Gandalf came to the rescue, splitting a rock so the light of dawn would turn the trolls to stone. 

The dwarves rejoiced at his timely return but you were still stuck upside down in a now stone troll hand, struggling to get your foot out of your boot so you could get down. It was no use and you angrily called, “Yes that’s all well and good, Gandalf. Now would you please get me down?” 

The wizard came and freed you, letting you fall gracefully to the ground to land on your feet like a cat, and you quickly tied your hair back to its usual bun, calming yourself as the dwarves stared at you. It was Thorin who stepped forward and roughly grabbed your chin to push the hair away from your ears before spitting the word, “Elf,” at you like it was a curse. 

You yanked away from him as Gandalf stepped between you and the rest of the company, “Enough. Does your grudge run so deep that you would harbor ill will against her when she's been here, helping, from the start?” 

"She deceived us all. I have no reason to trust her more than any other elf."

Gandalf went to argue with him but you piped up behind him to cut him off, “Gandalf, he’s right. I hid my heritage from them when they placed their trust in me openly. I can not ask them to trust me again after that. I shouldn’t even be here, my anger put them all in danger.” 

You gathered your knives and then stormed off through the forest toward where you had left Blossom, with the company looking after you a little astonished.

“Does it really matter if she’s part elf?” Kili asked looking in the direction you’d gone, Fili nodding along with him. 

Bofur added in, “It’s not as though she’s done anything but help us.” 

Balin put in a final word to which all the other dwarves agreed, “She’s shown us nothing but friendship, Thorin, would you really cast her out because of her ancestors?” 

Thorin actually looked a little ashamed for a moment, “No. I suppose that would not be wise, but do not ask me to place my trust in her again” 

They went in search of you and found you just finishing saddling up Blossom with shaky hands, your face looking deeply sad. Bilbo stepped forward, “You’re not leaving are you, (F/n)?” 

“I am.” 

He began to protest but you spun and gave him the best smile you could, “You all will be better off without me anyways. If I can't even keep an even temper against slow trolls then I will be of no use against a dragon, I may even be a hindrance.” 

Gandalf sighed, exchanging a knowing glance with you, “If you must go, my dear girl, then go.” 

“What? You’re going to let her go just like that?” Fili growled as Kili pleaded to you, “Please, (F/n), stay.” 

You wouldn’t look at them or any of the other dwarves, studying the floor for a moment before swinging yourself up into the saddle and giving one last parting thought as you looked off to the horizon, “I’m sorry I deceived you and I wish you luck in reclaiming your home. Everyone deserves a home… Oh and someone give the hobbit a dagger or the like. Even burglars shouldn’t go unarmed.” 

With that, you trotted off in the direction they had just come from and Bilbo felt like his heart was breaking. Gandalf, on the other hand, was angry, spinning to face Thorin, “That young woman has been cast out of every home and family she has ever known, she will return in time but the damage you have done is beyond repair.” 

Thorin clenched his jaw, stating, “It was her choice to leave,” before turning to stalk off towards the ponies. 

Balin shook his head, “Are you sure she will return, Gandalf?” 

“Of course. She does not know it yet but she just needs to gather her thoughts. She will likely head towards Radagast’s realm and when she is ready she will join us again” The wizard replied, putting the dwarves’ minds at ease. 

Bilbo was still watching the small speck on the horizon that was you, “Will she be alright on her own?” 

“Yes, my Halfling friend, she will. She has spent much of her life wandering the world alone. She will be fine.” 

The mood was somber as they pillaged the troll hoard and Gandalf did as you asked and gave Bilbo a small elvish sword, just before Radagast showed up in search of the grey wizard. 

Once alone, the first thing the strange man asked was, “Where is your apprentice, Gandalf? You haven’t gone and lost the dear girl, have you?” 

Gandalf shook his head, “The dwarves did not take too kindly to her heritage I’m afraid. She has gone off somewhere with her thoughts.” 

Radagast eyes widened, “You should not have let her go. There is an evil falling over the land, it has never been more dangerous on the roads and even in the forests.” 

Gandalf quirked an eyebrow at him and Radagast set into explaining the situation in his forest with the giant spiders and the lack of growth before mentioning Gandalf’s worst fear- Dol Guldur was no longer uninhabited. The necromancer had returned.


	6. Chapter 6

You and Blossom sauntered along the plain, you lying on his back as you sighed heavily, you hadn’t really wanted to leave but you had felt there was no other choice. They didn’t want you there anymore with your mixed blood, like all the others you would have quickly been cast out for being what you were- A mix of all three main races with your mother being pure elf and your father half human and half dwarf. Individuals like you were extremely rare and looked down upon by every race with disgust.

No one wanted a Mutt. You hated the word but right now... it felt like a title you deserved.

Those dwarves had become like family, the family you’d never really had as your parents had died when you were just a wee one. Gandalf had taken you in at a young age as your mixed heritage gave you an array of skills unlike any other and you looked to him as a father and a mentor because he was all you had. You thought of Bilbo for a moment and you chest clenched, you hoped he would be all right without your watchful eye keeping him from trouble as you were quite fond of him.

It was then that you heard the warg howl, it was distant since you had covered a good amount of ground since your departure but you knew instantly what the orcs were after. You turned Blossom around and for once sat properly in the saddle, urging the unwilling horse into a gallop, “Come on Bloss, there’s trouble ahead and they’ll need our help. Mutt or not.”

You arrived to see your company nearly surrounded and kicked Blossom into a loud neigh as you let out a yell, drawing the attention of a good number of the orc group as you spun and galloped away so they would give chase in the opposite direction of the group.

The group heard your yell though they could not see you and Kili immediately noticed the lessened orc presence around them, “Something’s drawn them away.”

Gandalf looked to the horizon, “(F/n).”

He spun quickly, “Come, let’s not waste her distraction.”

You had just sliced the head of one of the many orcs following you when you heard the elven horn, you were too far out for them to be of any aid, but at least you knew where to head when you’d dealt with the remaining orcs. You urged Blossom on easily as he tried to escape the biting teeth of the wargs and began to pick off your enemies one at a time.

You arrived in Rivendell less than an hour after the company did, galloping up on your oversized horse with a grin on your face just as Elrond was about to lead them inside.

There were grins and smiles from each member of the party, even Thorin couldn’t hide the slight tug at the corners of his lips, they were so very glad that, as usual, Gandalf was right.

You swung yourself off Blossom, landing gracefully on the ground below before bounding over to sweep Bilbo up into a large hug. The hobbit was used to your sudden affectionate greetings by now and returned the hug in kind, “Good to have you back alongside us, (F/n).”

Gandalf chuckled as you released your friend as quickly as you had taken him up, spinning to greet him, “Yes, my dear it is quite good to have you back. Your aid on the road only just left behind us was greatly welcome though I wish you would have arrived sooner.”

Some of the dwarfs gave nods of agreement and you rolled your eyes, “I’m aware. You weren’t exactly the easiest bunch to catch up to with orcs and wargs all over the place. I mean really? However did you manage that?”

Gandalf chuckled and gave you a small, secretive smile before saying your name in a scolding tone as he inclined his head in the direction of your host. You went from bouncy to demure, letting your eleven-side kick in, “Please excuse my familiarity and enthusiasm, my Lord. I can only hope that you do not take my abrupt entrance and subsequent chatter as a gesture of rudeness toward your person, for I can assure you that was not my intent.”

The Lord of Rivendell’s eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise at your complete change of behavior and speech as he gave you a slight nod in acceptance of your apology and you continued, “I hope you can also forgive that have I put you at a disadvantage, as I know your name and place, Lord Elrond of Rivendell, but you still have no knowledge of mine, an oversight I hope to speedily correct. (F/n) (L/n), apprentice to Gandalf the Grey and the fifteenth member of the company that stands before you, at your service.”

He gave a slight bow which you mirrored in a much deeper fashion, “I welcome you in my kingdom and my home, (F/n) (L/n).”

Bilbo had been too busy watching you as you scolded Gandalf and then charmed their host to notice the carmine smudge that dirtied one of his hands. His brow furrowed deeply as he looked down and noticed it now, before looking back up at you and announcing loudly enough to interrupt, “You’re bleeding.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to you, either in search of an explanation or to scan your person for the source of the blood. You seemed equally surprised, twisting to look to where Bilbo’s hand had fallen on you shoulder earlier to find a dark red stain seeping through your tunic.

“It would seem I am,” you said casually, tugging at your sleeve with a frown, “Shame. I rather liked this tunic.”

Gandalf spun you to lean in and get a better look at it, pushing the wide neck of your tunic down over your shoulder “And how, pray tell, my dear girl, did you come about this particularly unfortunate scrape?”

You sighed with a shrug, “As I told you before, the path you laid out for me was filled with all sorts of less than desirable creatures. Getting them away from you proved to be only half the task.”

It was then that he noticed that the hilts of the short swords at your hips were flecked with blood and he could only assume the various other blades you had concealed on your person were in a similar state. You had fought hard to get here.

You jumped when smooth fingers pressed against the flesh just above the wound, hissing softly as they tugged at it slightly. You turned your head to find Elrond‘s face just inches from your shoulder, taking stock of the damage.

It was a short wound only a hand’s length across and two fingers wide but it ran deep into the tissue and muscle below. Elrond noted that it was fresh but older than a few hours, likely a wound you acquired early in your battle, and you suddenly felt a wave of pain wash over you, causing you to wobble.

You had been so focused on the task of catching up to the company that you had not only blocked out the pain but also dismissed the blood on the shirt you had worn before as orc blood, as, by the time you were done, there had been quite a bit on your person. It was for that reason you had changed before seeking out Rivendell.  

Bilbo’s eyes widened as you paled visibly and almost lost your footing, Elrond steadying you with a hand on your opposite shoulder, “She has lost quite a bit of blood and the wound has not yet been properly cleaned. I will do what I can but the use of her arm shall be greatly constricted until this is at least partially healed.”

He lifted you into his arms, knowing that your balance was not to be trusted in this state, and nodded for one of his guards to deal with the rest of your group, “Go rest and eat your fill. We shall rejoin you momentarily.”

Bilbo watched him go with worried eyes, hoping to all that is good that you would be all right. The rest of your party was not so fretful, knowing that you were tougher than you looked in many ways, a mere scrape wouldn’t be your end, and Gandalf gave the hobbit a reassuring smile, “She is in good hands my Halfling friend. Relax and enjoy what our host has to offer for it will not come again soon in our journey.”  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lulululu emotions are happening... and if it wasn't obvious you prefer the company of dwarves.

Elrond emerged from some far off hall as they were eating, the dwarves examining the food they’d been given disdainfully as they conversed in hushed tones. Gandalf looked to him in a silent question and the elven Lord gave a slight nodded and offered, “It will heal nicely. I have left her to clean up and change clothes, though I believe she will have some trouble. Arwen, would you please check on our guest?” 

“Of course, Adar.” 

The young elf knocked lightly on your door, opening it when she heard a call from inside. She found you fully clean and dressed but struggling with the long impossibly tangled locks that fell down your back in a wet clump. She quickly assessed that you couldn’t bring your arm up far enough to run the comb through them and you were grumbling under your breath about how you should just cut it all off. 

She hummed in amusement and you turned to see who could possibly have come to check on you, blushing red when your eyes landed on her, “I see I have made my host wait long enough that he sends his own daughter to assure my well being. Give me just a moment and I will return to him with you.” 

She looked you over as you struggled to pull your hair into a sad excuse for a bun. There was no doubt that you were part elf in the flowing dress her father had given you as it accentuated your fair skin and elegant form. 

Short you may be, due to your father's dwarfish genes, but stocky you were not. It was like you were an elf that just ceased to grow at a certain point in her childhood, leaving you with long and elegant limbs and slender shoulders. 

She stepped forward and stopped your hands, “Allowing you to leave with your hair in such a state does your beauty a disservice. Please let me aid you with your burden.” 

You blushed but didn’t protest as she directed you toward a chair and, once you were sitting, began the task of fixing the tangled mess. She brushed it back gently as she began, revealing your delicately pointed ears, “Ah so you  _are_  Peredhel.” 

You sighed bitterly, “That is the nicest way of putting it, yes.” She wondered what you meant but did not press further as she sensed it was a sore topic for you. 

A short while later you trailed along behind her on your way to where your group was eating, as Arwen’s skilled hands had made quick work of your matted hair. She went ahead of you onto the balcony when the pair of you reached it as you paused hesitantly before venturing forward to follow her. 

Elrond couldn’t hide the small smile that tugged at his lips as all eyes turned to look you over, “It would seem you found our friend well, my daughter, as you were not absent long.” 

Arwen gave her father a slight nod and mischievous smile, “So it would seem, Adar. She only needed some help with her hair to which I gladly obliged.” 

Bilbo’s jaw hung open, much to the amusement of his dwarven cohorts, particularly Fili and Kili who were having trouble stifling snickers.  You held yourself with grace but kept your eyes on the floor, uncomfortable with your current state of dress and uneasy with displaying your elven-like traits so openly.

The dress you wore flattered your form and brought out your eyes with subtle tones of purple and silver and your step was light and made only the softest of sounds in the matching flats that encased your feet. Arwen had outdone herself with your hair doing it up in full elven style with countless braids going this way and that through a mass of loose natural curls that fell freely down your back, leaving your pointed ears exposed. 

Gandalf gave a small knowing smile, remembering your passionate hatred for dresses as you thought them entirely impractical, “My dear, come join us. Surely some food and drink shall do you more good than bad.” 

You bypassed the tables where the dwarves sat, much to Bilbo’s dismay, and found a chair next to your mentor, forever by his side as an apprentice should be. You bowed gracefully to your host before offering, “Imladris is even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, my Lord. It is truly a gift to be able to see it and I thank you for your hospitality.” 

Elrond examined you closely, “Few Peredhel choose to come here if their elven parent chose to live among mortals.” 

You gave a slight nod, “My mother may have chosen that path but her heart never left these halls, she spoke of it and you often in my childhood.” Gandalf rested a hand on your shoulder reassuringly and gave you a proud smile to which you returned a small, shy one, embracing your mother’s elven genes was not something you often did.

Elrond had questions that he dare not ask for fear of offending you, so you let your betters speak as you took in your surroundings, observing as always. Balin noticed that Bilbo’s eyes never left you and he nudged the young hobbit, “Quite a transformation from the clever little tomboy that camps with us each night isn’t it?”

Bilbo shook his head, trying to keep from staring any further, “Yes quite. If it weren’t for her height, I’d say she looked as though she belonged here, among the beautiful things of elves.” 

“I doubt she sees it that way, laddie, in fact, I think our host’s attentions make her quite uncomfortable.” Balin offered, inclining his head in the direction of your fidgeting hands under the table that, from their angle, were clearly visible. 

 

Balin was more right than he could have guessed as a moment later you caught the attention of Fili and Kili and inconspicuously pulled a face, to which they chuckled and then returned even more grotesque and odd faces very openly, causing you to let out a soft giggle. 

Your host raised an eyebrow at the noise and you offered quiet apologies, waiting until he was no longer paying attention to you to return your own contorted face. They and a few other dwarves who were now watching erupted into loud laughter and when Gandalf looked at you, you feigned innocence. 

The next time you looked up your eyes locked with Bilbo's and you sent him a small, shy smile, which he returned before Gloin flicked his ear, “If you think the young maiden fair you should tell her so.” 

Bilbo startled, shaking his head, “What? I don’t- I mean she is but- I couldn't- she's-“ 

The dwarves erupted into laughter at his complete befuddlement just a Thorin excused himself from your table. You looked after him, feeling as though you shouldn't have returned or at least continued to cover your ears. Despite your doubts, you couldn’t help but join in a moment later when Bofur began to sing from atop a chair, your lips soundlessly mouthing the words to the merry tune as a wide grin crossed your face. 

Elrond didn’t notice until you allowed your voice to join theirs in the last verse and as it finished, he commented, “Your voice rings out true and beautiful, a gift of your elven parentage I'm sure. If only you would put it to use singing something other than boisterous dwarven chants.” 

You blushed a soft shade of pink, “A fair voice can be used for many things and still carry the same quality my Lord and, though my voice is not something I often share, in my time I have sung both the gentlest of elven songs and the roughest of bar rhymes for one without the other greatly diminishes one’s appreciation for each. Now if you’d please excuse me, I’m feeling rather tired.” 

Gandalf gave a small smirk at your wise answer as Elrond gave you a farewell nod and watched you almost float away, “Your apprentice is quite something, Gandalf, wise beyond her years and able to slip between worlds with ease, where ever did you find her?” 

Gandalf offered his host a secretive smile, “Sometimes the most valuable of gems is found in the lowest and darkest of places Elrond, I can offer nothing more for her tale is not mine to tell.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys. I suck at songwriting so bear with me for that terrible bit in the middle... More Bilbo interaction next chapter I promise but hey this was progress right?

You didn’t go back to your room but instead went in search of Blossom, finding him happily munching away in the hay-filled stables of Rivendell. He gave a happy nicker when he spied you and then nuzzled at your hair with his lips when you came to him, as if trying to return it to its normal state. You chuckled, taking his chin in your hand and running the other down the bridge of his nose, “I know it’s different but Lady Arwen spent a good amount of time on it so let’s do try not to ruin it.”

You moved from him to your pack, which some elf had placed next to the saddle they’d removed from your horse friend, and he stamped his feet giving you an unhappy neigh. You sighed, pulling his brush from its place before returning to him, “You know as well as I do that where I am going you can not follow.”

Bilbo watched you from the doorway, having left the table only minutes after you to see if you were alright, and jumped when Blossom tossed his head at you a few times and let out a high pitched whiny, angry over your words though they were true.

Your fingers were quick to take your horse’s nose and hold it in front of your face, bowing your head to press your forehead to his, “Hush now. None of that. Elrond is a friend, he will take very good care of you.”

The horse stamped again and you got a sorrowful look on your face before you took a deep breath and let your voice fill the air with song,

 _Be still now, don’t fret_  
 _My love, the sun has only just set_  
 _The moon awakes with a yawn_  
 _And I promise I will not be gone long_  
 _Look to the night and_ its _sparkling stars_  
 _To know that I will never be far_

_La la la lye dideedie low dideelo la li la low do la low._

_Hush now, don’t cry_   
_As sure as the moon hangs in the sky_   
_My heart is with you, my voice in your ear_   
_Let your dreams slowly become clear_   
_My love, I will return when it is light_   
_To sing this tune again in the night_

_La la la lye dideedie low dideelo la lee la low do la low._

The tune was soft and sweet, soaring to smooth highs before dipping to rich lows. It seemed to be a combination of elven and dwarvish styles and your voice was clear and rang out like a bell of the finest silver. You trailed off as Blossom quieted, giving a soft sigh, and Bilbo let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, causing you to jump and spin around to look at him.

You went a deep shade of pink, “B-Bilbo? How long have you been there?”

He ruffled the back of his hair, avoiding your gaze as he took in a deep breath and gave you a sheepish smile, “You sing beautifully.”

You smiled softly as your cheeks went from pink to red, “Thank you… Did Gandalf send you to find me?”

He shook his head, “I wanted to be sure you were alright. You left rather abruptly and I thought maybe your shoulder was troubling you.”

You let out a light laugh moving to Blossom’s side to run the brush over his coat, “Lord Elrond is a very skilled healer, it should be fine.”

The horse gave a pleased nicker as he always did and Bilbo grinned, stepping forward to stroke his nose as you had, “He seems to like that.”

You peered over at him through your lashes, “He is easy to please.”

Blossom whinnied and pulled from Bilbo’s hands to lip at his hair, making it even more of a mess, and you laughed, patting the horse’s side, “I rather like him as well but I don’t think he appreciates you doing that to his hair.”

Bilbo went pink as Blossom moved to nuzzle his shirt instead and you brought a hand up to stifle a giggle before beginning to stretch to reach further up his side. It was not the best move on your part as you winced, biting your lip to keep from crying out in pain, and Bilbo noticed, quickly coming to your side.

“Let me help,” he offered as he reached to take the brush from you, his hand brushing against yours for longer than was really necessary. You let him take your place next to Blossom, leaning against the stable wall to watch him rub gentle swirls into the happily sighing horse’s side.

“You didn’t have to leave, you know.” He stated all the sudden.

You chewed at the inside of your cheek, “I did.” You could see him thinking and you added, “I probably shouldn’t have come back either, especially to Rivendell. Thorin’s hatred runs deep and my being here after what happened, looking like this… well, it certainly isn’t aiding the situation.”

He stopped what he was doing to look at you, face serious as a small smirk played at his lips, “Thorin be damned. I’m glad you came back.” 

You giggled, “I’m surprised at you, Bilbo, it seems adventure suits you far better than the comfort of your Hobbit hole.”

He gave you a shy grin, getting to look at you up close for the first time since Arwen fixed your hair. It was a little shocking to him how just changing your hair and dress could make you look so elven and delicate, he knew that wasn’t the case, but still, it was striking.

He brought his fingers up and nodded toward your ears, “May I…”

You raised a curious eyebrow at his request but nodded, letting his hand come to your face and his fingers meet your ear, he hadn’t protested when you’d asked to pet his feet so you figured you should oblige.

He was gentle as he ran his fingertips up its length and gently grazed the tip of the point between his thumb and forefinger, causing you to shiver and him to pull his hand away quickly, “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”

You shook your head, “Just the opposite. No one has touched my ears so gently since my mother when I was a small child.”

He was still sort of staring at them and softly breathed, “They’re beautiful.”

Your ears and face went red as you gave a short, uncomfortable laugh, “I believe you are the first to think so.”

He went red himself, not actually having meant to say that aloud, and cleared his throat as he went back to brushing Blossom.  You leaned back to watch him as a comfortable quiet settled in, when you suddenly had this niggling feeling in the back of your mind and let out a soft sigh, making Bilbo stop what he was doing to look at you again.

You offered him your usual grin and then grabbed his hand to pull him away, taking the brush from his hand and setting it down as you went through the door, “I’m being summoned.”

You didn’t give him time to question as you tugged him down the halls, seeming to know where you were going, before stopping at a large door and swiftly ushering him through it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lulduludu I have no idea what I'm doing! Just sorta dropping bits and pieces here and there and hoping it all comes together in the end.

The room was large and Thorin, Balin, and Gandalf were already there, standing across from Elrond. Gandalf gave you a nod as you fell in beside them, folding your hands behind your back only to wince and let them fall to your side, an action that your host noticed, “It will take some adjusting.”

You nodded, “Of course, My Lord.”

Both Bilbo and Balin could see Thorin’s eye twitch at your use of the honorific but if you noticed you didn’t show it, keeping your eyes trained forward and your stance formal. You stayed quiet as your mentor argued with Thorin again, trying to get him to show the map to Elrond, who was one of the few in Middle Earth that could actually read it. Once he’d agreed to share his small scrap of ancient parchment, Elrond examined it closely, holding it up in the moonlight to give a curious hum, “Moon runes.”

A wide smile spread across your face and you held back the urge to squeal in delight as Gandalf breathed, “Moon runes… Of course.”

“Moon runes?” Bilbo questioned, looking to you for an explanation. You offered him a small grin, “Ancient runes written in an ink that can only be read when illuminated by the light of the moon and, the more complex ones, only by the light of a moon of the same season and shape.”

“Precisely,” Elrond stated, approving of your interest in the ancient language, and then stepped further into the room to more closely examine the map. You let the others follow him to listen to him talk, observing your surrounds with curiosity as you wandered a little.

You stepped forward to run your fingers along a railing that had a slight dip in its otherwise smooth surface, like someone had continuously worried at it with their hand. You raised an eyebrow at it and then stroked the dip with your fingertips, only to gasp and pull away as if it had burned you.

The noise drew the attention of the others and Gandalf gave a little frown, “What did you see?”

You shook your head as you turned away from them, your expression sorrowful as your eyes brimmed with tears, and Bilbo wanted desperately to go to you and would have had Gandalf’s hand not rested firmly on his shoulder. You took a couple of deep breaths and then raised your face to meet Elrond’s, “I am so sorry for your loss My Lord. In time you will join her in Valinor, you should not let your grief weigh upon you so.”

Elrond startled, looking from you to Gandalf who was watching you closely, noting that you’d gone pale and there was a pain in your eyes that looked centuries old, far older than you were. Taking a moment, you better composed yourself, straightening your stance and raising your chin, “I have overstepped my place My Lord, please forgive me and say all is forgotten so that we may see what the moon has to offer.”

Elrond gave a final glance to Gandalf who was silently telling him not to push it, as the dwarves and Bilbo examined you with a new interest, and then nodded, “It is already forgiven and forgotten, my child. Let us continue on to more pressing matters.”

He began to lead the group away and Gandalf released Bilbo’s shoulder with an upward nod in your direction indicating that he should go to you. You had already begun to follow Elrond and the dwarves when he caught your arm and you turned to look at him before wrapping your arms around him in a desperate hug, needing some form of affectionate contact to temper the images in your head.

He didn’t hesitate to return it, holding you close for a moment before quietly beginning to ask, “What was-“

You pulled away and shook your head, pressing a finger over his lips, “Hush. Later. Now there are far more curious things to see.” 

He nodded and then you turned to catch up to Elrond and the others, knowing he would follow you.

Elrond led you to a rock platform of sorts, whether it was carved out of the cliff face or naturally formed you did not know but it offered a perfect view of the moon through the many waterfalls around it.

Bilbo was glad to see an awed smile cross your previously sad face as you stepped to the edge of the area, reaching out to let the water from one of the rivulet waterfalls envelope your hand. He felt Gandalf’s hand on his shoulder and looked up at him, “Thank you, my dear fellow. There are some comforts I cannot easily offer her.”

He just nodded looking back to you; you had moved to stand next to Elrond as he pressed the map to a crystal pedestal that allowed the moon to light it up.

“It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell as the same moon shines upon us tonight as the day these runes were written nearly two hundred years ago,” he stated as the runes on the map lit up when the crystal did, allowing him to read what was there, “Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole.”

The dwarves began to discuss this with Gandalf as you looked on and Elrond, discovering the true intentions of the dwarfs, began to walk off in a huff. You stopped him, skipping over to bow your head as you asked, “My Lord, if you will allow it I would very much like to remain here with my thoughts for a short while longer.”

He scrutinized you for a second and then nodded, “I will allow it. Though I ask that you not to stay longer than you must, your injury will heal far quicker if you allow yourself to rest.”

“Of course, My Lord. You have my gratitude.”

Elrond’s voice dropped so only you could hear it, “You should allow the Halfling to join you, he seems quite concerned with the way the moonlight brings out the beauty in certain things.”

You blushed, giving a small, shy smile as you looked over at Bilbo who quickly averted his eyes from you, “A truly wonderful bit of sound advice, My Lord. I shall take it to heart.”

Elrond shook his head as he gave a soft knowing smile and continued his path off of and away from the platform, followed by Gandalf and the two dwarves who were quietly discussing the path ahead in light of the new discovery. Bilbo moved to join them but as you passed him to return to the crystal you offered, “You may join me if you like. The view of the moon is exquisite from this place.”

“Uhhmm… Are you sure? Didn’t you just tell Lord Elrond you wanted to be with your uh...thoughts or something of the sort?” 

The two of you were alone on the platform now, with him hesitantly standing in between a state of go or stay by the door and you tracing the edge of the still glowing crystal with a sense of wonder and curiosity. You looked up at him from underneath your lashes, the crystal lighting up your face so that it glowed with an unearthly light, “And if my thoughts are with you?”

You tried to control the twitch of your lips as they threatened to turn up in a smirk when he blushed and opened his mouth a couple of times only to close it before finally responding, “Then I suppose I must stay to keep your thoughts here as well.”

Letting out that lilting laugh that he so loved to hear, you beckoned for him to come sit with you on the edge of the platform, sitting down to let your legs hang over it as you waited for him to join you.

When he did, plopping down next to you, you turned to look at him, “Thank you for staying with me, Bilbo.”

He nodded, looking up at the moon, “You were right about the view.”

The crescent moon loomed largely in the sky, its sharp curve and cratered surface clearly visible, and you hummed contently as you looked up at it, prompting him to ask, “Why is it that you cherish the moon as you do? You even knew about the moon runes. Our host seemed impressed.”

“It reminds me of my childhood and my parents. They both cherished the moon and its twinkling companions in the night sky just as I do. I suppose it is a love I inherited from them. As for the moon runes… when my mother was away, my father would often tell me a tale involving two lovers, forbidden to be together, who communicated through moon runes that could only be read as these were- on the night of the same moon and season as when they were written. They had to wait a year to read what the other had written and two to get a response. All to keep their love a secret. It was tragic and beautiful at the same time just like his voice was deep and gruff but gentle. I’ve never forgotten it.”

“Would you tell it to me sometime?” He asked, watching the way the moonlight made your fair skin glow and your eyes sparkle as he thought again about how well it suited you.

Turning to offer him a small smile, you replied, “If you’d like I will tell it the next time you find yourself unable to sleep.”

He gave you a shy grin, “I’d like that very much.”

You yawned softly and he chuckled, standing to offer you a hand, “Come on. It’s been a long day and I know you could do with a proper rest.”

Taking his hand so he could help you to your feet, you sighed, “Do you think Lord Elrond would be offended if I slept in the stable?”

He laughed, wrapping an arm around your shoulder, careful of your wound, “I’m sure Blossom will be just fine on his own.”

Humming softly, you leaned into his shoulder, “True… perhaps a change from his back will do my muscles some good as well.”

The two of you disconnected, padding along next to each other to your respective rooms with whispered good nights and increasingly frequent quiet yawns. You flopped down on your bed and realized you couldn’t even remember the last time you’d slept on an actual bed. It was nice but you couldn’t help but feel lonely without the dwarven snores and Blossom’s soft nickers to break up the quiet. Curling up into yourself, you softly began to hum the lullaby you’d soothed the horse with earlier as you drifted of into a deep sleep, knowing no danger crept along the safe halls of Imladris.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FILLER. because I love Elrond and I need to set some shit up. -flailing-
> 
> ... and some fili and kili love. Probably more of them in the next chapter but Idk for sure.

Was it too much to ask that you be allowed to sleep in?

Yes.

Yes, of course, it was.

Fili and Kili flew through your door with the rising sun, slowing to creep up on your sleeping form before jumping on your bed and nearly tossing you out of it. You were used to their rude awakenings by now and after an initial cry of shock, groaned and pulled the blankets over your head, “Why is it that you two rise with the sun and with just as much fire?”

They happily flopped down next to you, one on either side, “Wake up lass, daylight’s awasting.”

You swiftly kicked both of them off the bed and tumbling to the floor, “Then shoo while I change and after we will find some more amusing way to fill its hours.”

You were met with wide grins as they scrambled away to let you get ready. You rolled out of bed, stretching your muscles before running a hand over your wound, it was already healing nicely thanks to Elrond. Finding some clean clothes nearby, you grinned, it would seem your host had noticed your feelings towards dresses.

You tugged off your dress in favor of the smooth fitted green tunic and soft grey pants, winding the three belts with leaf-shaped clasps around your hips. You found your boots, clean and done up with new laces, sitting neatly nearby and slipped them on to your feet, tucking your pants into them before securing them around your calves.

You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and your hand went to your hair, it was an absolute jumble from sleep and you tried to make it at least somewhat presentable, straining your wound slightly as you reached to straighten it. After undoing the braids Arwen had woven into it, you leaned your head to the side so that you could pull the long soft tresses into a loose braid that arched around the side of your neck, the best you could do to keep it out of the way but still have it look tended to.

Satisfied with your appearance, you ventured forth, sneaking up on a snickering Fili and Kili who had their backs turned to you- no doubt plotting something nefarious. With a smirk on your face, you rested a hand on either of their shoulders as you darkly exclaimed, “Never turn your back to a woman you’ve pried from sleep.”

They both nearly jumped out of their skins, reeling away from you as you doubled over with laughter. Kili recovered first, giving you a wicked grin, “Oh you will regret that lass.”

Your mirthful laughter filled the hall as you darted away from them, “You’ll have to catch me first... That is if you can find me.”

Once outside you gracefully swung yourself up to the roof before they could catch up to you, crouching quietly as they came through the door and skidded to a halt, looking all around for where you could have gone. It was tempting to spring from your place and startle them again but you didn’t, opting to let your disappearance keep them busy looking for you while you spent the morning in peace.

You watched with a smug little smile as they went gallivanting away in the direction they decided you must have gone, letting them get a safe distance before dropping back down to the floor… and nearly on top of Lord Elrond. Your eyes went wide when you looked up to find that you’d landed less than a foot in front of him and he was eyeing you curiously, quickly bowing and offering profuse apologies.

To your surprise he smiled, “Be still, my child, no harm done. May I ask why exactly you were on the roof in the first place?”

“You may. I was avoiding a certain pair of dwarvish princes who have deemed this a morning of play when I desired one of peace.” You admitted with a sheepish grin as you rubbed the back of your neck.

“Oh? I was under the impression you enjoyed the company of dwarves, particularly the two in question.”

You had moved to stand at a railing looking out over Imladris when he did, your face becoming slightly troubled, “You would not be wrong, My Lord. I am rather fond of those two, as well as the others.”

He glanced over at you for a moment before looking back out over his kingdom, “A peaceful morning you may desire but I sense that your thoughts trouble you.”

“And again you would not be wrong, My Lord. I am unsure of my place among them now that my heritage has been revealed. I feel there are those that do not think me an ally any longer and as such that I am not suited to continue on with their company,” you admitted, looking down at your hands.

He raised an eyebrow, “I have noticed Thorin Oakenshield is not overly fond of elves of any kind.”

You just nodded, spying Fili and Kili a ways off, still looking for you, and then Elrond added, “I have also noticed that you are far from an average elf.”

You gave a soft melodic laugh, “I have heard it said, ‘Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.’ It would seem you are living up to the words, My Lord.”

He chuckled, “With our ancestor's blood running through your veins, do you not, to some extent, live up to them as well?”

“Oh most assuredly,” you said, giving him a mischievous smirk before looking out again in thought, “My Lord, may I speak freely with the promise you will not be offended by my words?”

He gave a slight nod and you opened your mouth only to close it again before coming up with the right words, “I felt your pain from the loss of your wife, of watching your sons grieve the loss of their mother, of your daughter slowly forgetting her face as the years pass by, of the loneliness you feel as you rule your kingdom without her by your side. It has a heavy hold on your heart, weighing you down and away from the joy around you. You mustn’t let it affect you so, please… let it heal.”

Looking up at him through your lashes, you saw that he was frowning deeply, “So it is true, you are a touch seer.”

“A gift and a curse that can come to those of my heritage,” you confirmed, fidgeting under his curious gaze.

He nodded thoughtfully looking back out at the scene in front of him, “Then you must understand that what you ask will not be an easy task.”

“The tasks worth undertaking never are, My Lord.”

“Wise words, My child.”

There was a period of silence and he looked back at you with a small smile, “Should you decide your place among the dwarves lost, you are welcome to stay here if you wish it.”

You startled, floundering slightly, “You would have me? Knowing what I am?”

“Imladris welcomes you in spite and because of what you are.”

You looked out at the place again with a new sense of wonder, this could be your home, finally, a place you would be welcomed instead of cast out, “You have given me a gift far greater then I believe you know in offering for me to call Rivendell home, Lord Elrond. It is something I have never been offered before. I shall think on it deeply.”

He nodded and then turned to leave, contemplating your words and your person much more seriously that he would ever show. You watched him go and then went to scare the wits out of Fili and Kili again, just because you could.  
  



	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TENSION! I love Bilbo but can't he see that you and the dwarf are just teasing each other for the sake of teasing?

As Bilbo explored the halls and balconies of Rivendell, he couldn’t help but be reminded of his cozy hobbit hole back in the Shire. There was a sense of peace in this elven refuge that called to mind all the things that he had been missing on the road and all the comforts of home. He had found a quiet place to look over the area when Elrond found him, “Not with your companions?”

“Ah…I shall not be missed.” Bilbo said with a little frown, looking up at the elf before further explaining, “The truth is that most of them don’t think I should be on this journey.”

“Indeed,” Elrond nodded, looking the Hobbit over before stating, “I’ve heard that Hobbits are very resilient.”

Bilbo scoffed and then realized he was serious, “Really?”

“I’ve also heard they are fond of the comforts of home,” Elrond continued, looking out at his kingdom once again.

Bilbo let out a soft chuckle before countering, “I’ve heard that it’s unwise to seek the counsel of elves for they will answer both yes and no.”

Elrond looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before giving the awkwardly shuffling Halfling a pursed-lipped smile and nodding out to where he’d spotted you, “Your friend there said much the same thing when faced with her own dilemma.”

Following his gaze, Bilbo watched you press a finger to your lips as Kili spotted you and then you swung up into a tree, waiting for Fili to turn before dropping to hang upside down in front of him. Fili gave a girlish shriek that could be heard even over the distance and you tumbled from the tree and hopped on Kili’s back to dash away before his brother could recover, obviously roaring with laughter.

He chuckled at your antics and then frowned, “It's different with her...She is wanted among them, belongs there even.”

“She does not believe it so though I am certain her worries concerning her heritage cloud her judgment. She desires to feel wanted, to have a place in the world- something I doubt she has ever truly had aside from keeping by Gandalf’s side.”

Bilbo looked up at him, wondering what exactly your past had been like, and then asked, “And you think her place is there? Among the dwarves?”

“That remains to be seen... I have offered her a place here should she choose to stay.”

The Hobbit furrowed his brow, imagining the road ahead without you was a miserable thing, and Elrond placed a hand on his shoulder, “You are very welcome to stay here as well, if that is your wish.”

With that the elf lord left, giving Bilbo time with his thoughts. He looked back over to where you and the two young dwarves were, seeing that Fili had pounced on you and Kili and you were all laughing in a pile on the floor. You sat up and spied him on the balcony, giving a wide grin and a wave before Fili tugged on your braid and darted away with you scrambling after him.

He wondered if you would stay with Lord Elrond and the elves. You had said that your place was always by Gandalf’s side but you were injured and you did seem to fit in amongst the elves easily, even if you enjoyed the high spirits of the dwarves- it would make sense for you to stay.

He went in search of Gandalf to see what his opinion on the matter might be and found you and your two dwarven cohorts instead. Fili and Kili were dragging you toward where a few of the other dwarves were doing a bit of sparring and you tossed him a ‘help me’ look as Kili chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, “Come on lass! It’ll be fun. I’ll even teach you how to shoot an arrow.”

“You know I can’t Kili, doing so would put too much strain on my shoulder.”

Fili chimed in the with his brother, “Well then you can at least practice using just one sword in your good hand to be prepared for the road ahead. Dwalin will go easy. We promise.”

You dug your heels in, “You know I don’t spar. Come on lads, let me go.”

Kili tossed you over his shoulder with a laugh, “Never, lass.”

You sighed, knowing this wasn’t a fight you were going to win and looked up to give Bilbo a little mischievous grin, “Oi lads, don’t you think our burglar could use some practice as well?”

Bilbo was already shaking his head with wide eyes but Fili grabbed his arm, “A fantastic point, (F/n). Come on, Bilbo, let’s see how you are with that letter opener Gandalf gave you.”

You giggled at his flustered face and then gawked, hitting Kili’s back forcefully, “Did you just grab my rear, you cheeky dwarf?”

Kili repeated the action as he and his brother barked out a laugh, “And if I did? I don’t see anything you can do about it from your current position.”

Bilbo had traded his bewildered look for a glare, not liking that Kili was using your current position to touch where he shouldn’t, but you didn’t seem to care all that much, a smug grin crossing your face for a moment. Bilbo was just beginning to get curious about what that could mean when you swiftly wound your legs around Kili’s neck so you were sitting on his shoulders and then tossed yourself back so he overbalanced and came tumbling down on top of you.  

You rolled, pinning him beneath you, and leaned over so your face was just inches from his to seductively purr, “You were saying?” as you brushed some strands of hair out of his face.

Kili floundered as Fili doubled over with laughter and you leaned in closer, so your lips almost touched, teasing him as thoroughly as you possibly could “Never underestimate your opponent, my little prince.”

You were too close to notice the smirk that spread across his face, “Sound advice that you should turn back to yourself, lass.”

You were confused until he lifted his head to press his lips to yours and you went reeling back, “You- you-you git! Damn you. You’ll regret that.”

Kili scrambled away with you chasing after him, sparring forgotten for a moment, and Fili gave a loud laugh, “That lass is going to kill him... Uncle Thorin will be displeased that there is one less in the line of Durin.”

Bilbo was frowning deeply, it seemed to him that Kili had captured your heart and he felt even more alone than he normally did. Fili went to make sure you didn’t, in fact, kill the flirtatious dwarf as Bilbo spun on his heel and went to mull over his troubled thoughts.

Maybe it was time to return home, to the easy comfort of his Hobbit hole, he thought, but at the back of his mind, he knew that wouldn’t help… he would still feel alone. He found an empty balcony a short ways away and pulled out his pipe to puff at it as he let his jealousy wane into a sense of sadness and loss.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gandalf bonding for the win...

You came to a screeching halt, barely managing to keep from running into Kili who had done much the same in front of you when Thorin had appeared to level him with a disapproving and scolding glare.

Fili, on the other hand, did not have as much control and came barreling into you, throwing you into Kili and in turn all three of you to the floor in front of Thorin. The dwarf looked down at the pile in front of him as you all scrambled to get up, standing in a row in front of him like small children in front of an angry parent.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Thorin growled and Kili went to respond but you beat him to it, “It was my fault Thorin. I was messing with Kili and things got a little out of hand.”

He just glared at you, “Fili. Kili. A word.”

You shot them an apologetic glance as they trailed their uncle and then darted away to the only place you knew you could go where there would be no conflict with anyone, elf or dwarf alike. The stables with Blossom. You didn’t even bother to tread lightly as you normally did, letting your footfalls echo as you went and your thoughts return to what you’d looked to Fili and Kili to forget.

You stormed in and flopped down in the pile of hay near Blossom, “I shouldn’t have come back Bloss… we could have gone to stay with Radagast, I’m beginning to think that perhaps there’s something to his way of life.”

“I would have missed you.”

You shot up, an array of hay sticking out of your hair, and found Bilbo standing in front of Blossom with a couple of carrots in hand. You went bright red, focusing on your lap, “I’m sorry Bilbo. I didn’t see you there.”

He gave Blossom another carrot, “It’s alright. I’m used to not being seen.”

“That doesn’t make it all right.” You said quietly, pulling your legs in to sit cross-legged.

“Why are you here, (F/n)? Shouldn’t you be with Kili?”

There was bitterness in his tone and you looked up curiously, “Thorin wasn’t exactly pleased with our antics… I’m afraid I may have gotten Fili and Kili in trouble. Honestly, I should have known better and kept my distance but they are so insistent and I just wanted to forget for a while. Fooling around with them made me feel so… normal.”

You sighed, hanging your head in thought for a moment, “I think I might stay.”

He looked over at you for the first time since you’d come in, there was hay stuck to not only your hair but your clothes as well but you obviously didn’t care and your face was troubled, “Don’t you think Kili would be rather upset if you stayed behind? Having you around seems to please him.”

You gave him a confused look, “What's with this sudden concern for Kili?”

“Nothing… the two of you just seem rather cozy.”

You tilted your head at him, getting up to join him as you placed a hand on his shoulder, “What’s the matter, Bilbo? They haven’t been picking on you again have they?”

He looked up at you, seeing that your face was set in a frown and you looked deeply concerned, forgetting all your own troubles as you began to fret about his. He shook his head, “N-no they haven’t. I was just… He kissed you.”

Your eyes widened in realization as to what he was getting at and you suddenly engulfed him in a hug with a small giggle, “Oh, Bilbo… are you jealous? Because I can assure you that, while dangerously flirtatious he may be, he is still only a friend.”

Bilbo relaxed a little into the hug and you pulled away to look at him, “And he knows my heart already lies with another.”

Just as Bilbo went a little pink and opened his mouth to respond, Blossom dropped his nose between the two of you and gave an impatient nicker, lipping at your shirts until you separated. You chuckled and patted his nose, “It would seem you forgot to give him his last carrot.”

Bilbo movements got flustered as he stumbled, “O-oh right. The carrot.”

You let out a soft laugh, shaking your head as you left, “Behave yourself, Bloss.”

“Are you really going to stay?” he asked, not realizing you’d left, and let out a sigh when he turned to find the space behind him empty. At least he knew now that you didn’t fancy Kili but at the same time you’d left him with just as many questions and so few answers.

Despite being a little enthused that Bilbo had been jealous, your thoughts were still troubled and your original place of peace was occupied by your little awkward hobbit friend so you needed to find another.

You picked the roof of a remote balcony, away from all the places the dwarves were likely to hang out and looking over the elven haven and the open sky. You flexed your shoulder a few times to try and keep it from getting stiff and then tugged your knees up to your chest, resting your chin on them so you could watch the sun slowly dip down in the sky to disappear behind the mountains. You had been up there for quite a while when there was a voice from below, “I thought I might find you here.”

You sighed, “I never could hide from you, Gandalf.”

There was a soft chuckle as he emerged to lean against the balcony railing, his back to you, “I also know when you are fretting, my dear.”

“Lord Elrond has given the option for me to stay here, in Imladris, should I chose.”

“And you are considering it?”

It was quiet for a moment and you softly answered, “I am.”

You could hear the frown in Gandalf’s voice, “You are not required to remain with me, (F/n), you have improved enough that, if you wish to, you may leave my mentorship.”

“I am conflicted, Gandalf. Imladris can offer everything I ever wanted- a home, acceptance, consistency- but I’m beginning to think it is the people that surround you that make a home and as nice as Lord Elrond is… he is not the one who’s company I desire.”

“They do not hate you, (F/n), even Thorin harbors some goodwill towards you.”

You tucked your nose in your knees, “You did not see his face when he caught me playing with his nephews.”

Gandalf gave a heavy sigh, “You must give him time to adjust, (F/n). He is stubborn.”

“And if the others feel as he does? I would rather remember them as they were and not as they will be.”

“And Bilbo?”

There was a small silence, “He wishes me to continue on… or at least that is what I believe. He seems conflicted as well.”

Your mentor gave no response and you dropped down from the roof to join him against the railing, “What do you suggest I do?”

He looked down at you for a moment and then looked out again, “When we began this journey, I gave you the option to stay behind, to stay with Radagast, until I could return. Do you recall your response?”

“I said that I would gladly accompany the descendants of the line of Durin on their journey to reclaim the mountain for I believed they deserved to have a home and I felt their pain of living without one.”

“Has that changed?”

You tilted your head in thought for a moment, “I suppose not.”

He turned to look at you, reaching to pull some of the straw out of your hair, “Then I believe you have your answer.”

“It would seem so,” you said giving a soft smile.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which the dwarves slip away. I thank Tolkien and the screen writers of the hobbit for that beautiful bit concerning Bilbo's place on the journey. I had to include it... I just love it so much. SO CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE ON THAT.

Standing on the balcony with Gandalf, you shivered, turning from him and pressing your hands over your face with a soft hum. Had anyone seen your face then, they would have watched your eyes go a milky white and a crack like design pattern the skin around them, both giving off a soft glow.

You could see it… someone was coming to Rivendell- a man and a woman- they would be there by nightfall. You let your hands fall, the moment passed, and looked up to Gandalf who was watching you with a sense of cautious curiosity, “Saruman the White is on his way along with a blond maiden of elven decent whom I do not know the name of… I believe they intend to put our quest to an end.”

“Galadriel…” Gandalf breathed, looking out at Imladris again, “You must take the dwarves and go.”

There was a period of silence before you softly queried, “Will you convince them of the darkness? I feel it, Gandalf… even now, in this peaceful place, there is something brewing.”

He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you to his side reassuringly, “I will do my best, little one, but you must go and leave me here. Keep an eye on our friends until I can join you again.”

You gave a single nod, giving the hand on your shoulder a squeeze before turning to go find Thorin and begin the preparations to slip out of Imladris while Gandalf met with the White Council.

You found him with the other dwarves a bit away, approaching quietly but not silently like you normally did, and Balin spotted you, giving a grin, “Lass! We’ve been missing you!”

There were nods and calls of agreement from the others and you gave a small smile but shook your head, “I’m afraid I’ve come on business lads… Thorin, a word please.”

He eyed you suspiciously before excusing himself to follow you to a quiet corner, giving you an expectant frown, “Speak.”

“We must leave before it is light or not at all. The light of day will bring with it a strong opposition to your journey and it would be best if we were out of sight when it does.”

“And Gandalf?”

“He has his duties to tend to but promises to join us again as soon as it is possible. You must trust me, Thorin. Please. The fate of your quest and Erebor hangs in the balance.”

The dwarf grunted, “We will be ready when you give the word.”

He began to walk away and you softly added, “I don’t need to remind you that we do not wish to alert our host. Stealth is key.”

With a small nod, he continued on to quietly spread to the others what the plan was and you spun on your heel, going to the stables to make your own preparations. Blossom nickered unhappily at your arrival, sensing something was up, and you shushed him, pausing only a moment to give him a pat on the nose before going to collect your pack and weapons. You slung it over your shoulder and went to say goodbye to Blossom, pulling his nose down to your face, “Be well my friend. I will return one day if I can. Until then treat our elven friends with the same respect you afford me.”

He gave a soft nicker and stamped his feet as you parted from him and wiped a tear from your face before neatly placing his brush on top of his now empty saddle with a small note written in elven script that simply read, “Please take care of him.”

You crept along with hardly a sound, making your way to the room Elrond had given you to gather the supplies he’d left you for such a time when your party was to depart, he had not known it would be so soon. You swiftly packed two new sets of clothes, a new cloak, various bandages and healing supplies, a new blanket, and a silver hair clip along with your other things.

Throwing your purple cloak over your shoulders before quietly strapping your short swords to your waist and tucking all your daggers away, you felt Gandalf’s signal tugging at the back of your mind. It was time to go.

You took precautionary measures as you made your way back to the dwarves, keeping to the shadows with light footfalls and swift movements as your current appearance would surely alert any passing elves that something was amiss. A number of the dwarves jumped when you emerged from the dark to place a hand on Thorin’s shoulder, “It is time.” 

He gave a nod of acknowledgment and you turned away, striding off to keep watch as he got his kin ready. You closed your eyes for a moment, listening, and a hand brushed your shoulder. When you turned, you found Balin, flanked by the others, and you inclined your head that they should follow, leading them out of and away from Rivendell and its lush valley in silence.

Once you were far enough away that the path forward was clear, you let Thorin lead on, falling back to bring up the rear as you counted to make sure no one had been left behind- thirteen dwarves and a hobbit.

The sun was rising over Rivendell when you looked back, wanting to know what was happening in the now distant city below before shaking your head to stop yourself from going too far into those desires. This was no time to force yourself into a vision simply out of curiosity because, unlike the ones that came naturally, doing so would be beyond exhausting. You turned to continue on, finding Bilbo looking back as well and giving him a little smile as you linked your arm with his to lead him onward.

Back in Rivendell, Galadriel and Gandalf discussed the rising darkness and your current journey, their thinking very much the same concerning both matters.

Galadriel’s voice hummed into the air, “You send your apprentice with them, do you not trust her?”

Gandalf shook his head, “I trust her far more than most… Her presence among us was not needed. She knows what is coming, what lurks in the dark, perhaps even better than you or I. She can feel it.”

A small smile pulled at his companion’s lips, “Elrond thinks her a touch seer and from you, I see it is true. A rare gift indeed… You wish to protect her.”

“I do. She may feel the shadows but she does not fully understand what they mean and I will do everything in my power to keep it that way. Should she fall into the wrong hands because her powers touch what they should not, sending a call out into the dark…”

“She will not. With you as her mentor, she has grown strong and brave, her heart will not be swayed even if the worst should arise.”

Gandalf gave a small nod and began to leave when she stopped him, “Mithrandir... Why the Halfling?”

He turned to her, “I do not know… Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found… I’ve found it is the small things-everyday deeds of ordinary folk- that keeps the darkness at bay… Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid… and he gives me courage.”

Gandalf’s words seemed to find you over the distance and resonate through you as you peered at your friend through your lashes, arms still linked. You leaned your head on his shoulder for a moment and he tensed slightly, “(F/n)? What is it? Are you alright?”

You hummed in response before whispering, “Thank you, Bilbo.”

He furrowed his brow as you released him, moving ahead of him slightly, and asked, “For what?”

You offered him a soft smile over your shoulder, “For simply being you.”

He tilted his head in confusion but you continued on as before, silently moving among the dwarves like a shepherdess weaving between her sheep to be sure all is well. He wondered if he would ever figure you out and then if he even really wanted to… maybe you were just meant to be a mystery.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler ajskldjlfhdjs. Because I can.

The road was painfully quiet without your usual chatter as it seemed you were trying to appease Thorin by keeping your distance from the other dwarves. As soon as one would try to talk to you, you would move to a different area of the company, even ducking away when Fili and Kili tried to corner you.

Balin caught up with Thorin, “You need to make amends with the lass.”

He scowled, “She brought this upon herself, Balin.”

“How? We do not choose our parentage, Thorin. She was not the one who let the mountain fall.”

“She lied.”

“Would you have allowed her to help us if she hadn’t?”

The stoic dwarf frowned but said nothing and Balin sighed, “I can not tell you what to do Thorin but if you do not do something the road ahead will be quiet and long.”

He looked over to watch you dart away from Bofur when he tried to wrap an arm around your shoulder and Balin left him with his thoughts. You fell to the back again, letting a little distance grow between you and the dwarves, and sighed.

You wanted so badly to just go on as you normally did but the occasional glare from Thorin kept you from doing so- Gandalf said to give him time and give him time you would… you just hoped that he didn’t need that much time because you were already missing Blossom and you didn’t know how much longer you could take not talking to the dwarves.

You didn’t know what to do with yourself when you stopped for the night, as you usually slept with Blossom and if you couldn’t you curled up like a cat next to Gandalf, so you volunteered to take the first watch. Before you knew it, the first watch turned into the second watch and then the third and so on, until the sun started to peek over the horizon and the dwarves started to stir.

Bilbo looked at you worriedly but you didn’t seem to be fazed by the fact you’d just stayed up all night, only giving a small yawn as you gathered your things. There was suddenly a hand on either of his shoulders and he looked up to find Fili and Kili, their faces uncharacteristically serious, “Bilbo… we’ve got to put an end to this silence and you’re going to help us.”

He floundered, “M-Me? What can I do?”

They gave him a little shove towards you, “You’re the only one she’ll talk to… go convince her to stop acting like uncle Thorin- all broody and stoic.”

He shuffled over to where you were, the company already beginning to head out, and gave you a small, shy smile, “Good morning, (F/n).”

You offered him a tired grin before moving to follow the others, “Good morning, Bilbo.”

He looked back at Fili and Kili, making a face that said what-should-I-do, and they waved him on towards you, mouthing, “Talk to her.”

He caught up to you again, falling into step next to you, “Do you mind if I walk with you today?”

“Not at all. I could use some company,” you said flatly, without looking over at him.

There was a long period of silence as you both just walked on and then he sighed, “Why did you decide to come on this journey, (F/n)?”

You tilted your head in thought for a moment, “A number of reasons, I suppose, but mostly because I could relate.”

“How so?”

“I was born on the road and, in a way, the road has always been my home… I know what it’s like to want a place to settle down, to belong. I came because I think that they have a chance at that- a place to belong.”

He nodded, “Your parents never settled down?”

You shook your head, “We moved around all the time. People didn’t exactly approve of their relationship, it made it hard to stay in one place very long... and then when they were gone I just sort of wandered until Gandalf found me.”

“What happened to them? I-If you don’t mind me asking…”

You focused on the ground for a moment, chewing on your lip, “They were killed by Orcs when I was seven… night raid or something like it. I don’t remember much.”

He clasped his hands behind his back awkwardly as he quietly offered, “Sorry.”  

You turned to offer him a grin, “Don’t be. It was a long time ago.”

He nodded as you let out a soft hum before asking him about his family and he could see Fili and Kili out of the corner of his eye giving him a thumbs-up. He managed to keep you talking for most of the day and while it wasn’t the same as before it was a start.

When they stopped for the night, you tried to take the watch again and Balin caught your arm, “You need to rest lass. Let me take the watch.”

Bilbo, who’d settled down nearby, nodded in agreement and patted the place next to him, “He’s right, (F/n). You’ve been yawning all day. Come on, you can take the spot next to me.”

You chewed on your lip hesitantly but nodded, “Alright, Balin. Thank you,” and then went to settle in next to Bilbo, curling up with your blanket thrown over you and a yawn. You were out almost instantaneously and Fili poked Bilbo with his foot, “You did well.”

Kili nodded, “Maybe tomorrow we can get her to let us join your conversation.”

Bilbo shrugged, he kind of liked having you all to himself for a bit, and then laid back to get some rest himself. He woke to the sound of snickering and a warmth on his side, eyes flickering open to find that you were cuddled into him with your head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped tightly around your waist, Fili and Kili looming over you both with wicked grins on their faces.

He went red and tried to shift out from underneath you but you whimpered and fisted your hand into his shirt, causing him to freeze just as Balin appeared to take hold of the two young dwarves’ ears, dragging them off so they could take the second watch with a small knowing grin in your direction. It was dark out and the others were still asleep so he looked down at you, contemplating what to do, before deciding the extra warmth was kind of nice and that he didn’t want to wake you. He pulled you a little closer to him, keeping his arm securely around you, and went back to sleep as you contently buried your nose in his shoulder, shifting so your own arm was flung tightly across his chest.

You woke in the morning to much the same situation that Bilbo had experienced in the night, only a bit more intense as it was more than just Fili and Kili snickering. You tried to ignore it, tucking yourself more tightly against the warmth at your back and then, as your mind started to wake up, wondered what exactly that warmth was. Your eyes blinked open as you gave a small yawn, adjusting to the light before looking down, your eyes going wide when you saw Bilbo’s arm draped loosely around your waist and your legs intertwined with his.

You scrambled away, causing Bilbo to stir and your little dwarf audience to roar with laughter as you hissed, “Shut it or I’ll put rocks in your boots.”

Bilbo sat up groggily, rubbing at his eyes, “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” you chirped and Fili smirked, opening his mouth to tell him the truth, to which you quickly added, “We were just discussing how Fili squeals like a girl… watch.”

You kicked the dwarf prince in the shin with a glare and sure enough, he let out a high pitch squeal as the other dwarves laughed and you tossed Bilbo a smirk, “See.”

Fili pouted, “I do not squeal like a girl.” 

It went quiet and there was suddenly a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to find Thorin, a glint of laughter in his eyes and a smile twitching at his lips, “I’m afraid (F/n) is right, nephew- you sound like a dwarf maid who’s had too much lager.”

The whole camp erupted with laughter and when you looked to Thorin questioningly, he gave you a slight nod signifying that he would tolerate your presence and your interaction with his kin. You grinned and went back to teasing Fili while the camp prepared to move out, leaving Bilbo alone to wonder about the night before.

You didn’t need him anymore now that you were talking to the others, you’d found your place among them and as always he was on the outside, thinking about his home back in the peaceful Shire or, more recently, the quiet halls of Rivendell. He frowned and then began to pack up his things for another day on the road.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not very much dialogue. I love the scene in the movie it was so suspenseful and interesting. Idk. I think I just like the idea of thunder battles.

The mood on the road after that improved exponentially, with the chatter and laughter returning as you moved among dwarves happily. While you chatted with Bilbo as you did the others, after the events of the other night, you made sure to sleep a good distance away from him. It wasn’t that you didn’t enjoy it, you did, it was that you needed to keep your focus on things other than your growing feelings for your Hobbit friend. Gandalf had told you to keep an eye on the company in its entirety, not just Bilbo, and you were going to do so.

When you reached the cusp of the Misty Mountains, you pleaded with Thorin to wait for Gandalf as the mountain pass was treacherous and you had an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach but he insisted they continue. You exchanged wary looks with Balin, following the others forward as Thorin lead on. You were as alert as you could be, scanning the narrow path and your companions’ movements as well as allowing your ears to pick up even the slightest of noises. If someone slipped or the rock gave way you would be ready.

When it started to drizzle your heart skipped a few beats and when it started to pour and thunder rumbled through the sky your stomach dropped to the floor. This was the worst possible scenario for your trek through the mountains as the likelihood of losing men shot up and every footfall could be your last. Your heart leapt to your throat when you saw Bilbo careen forward ahead of you but thankfully Dawlin and Bofur managed to tug him back.

You let out a slightly relieved huff, preparing to move on forward… until you saw the massive boulder headed in the company’s direction, your eyes going impossibly wide as Nori shoved you tightly against the mountain behind you with an outstretched arm. You looked up at the massive rock titian in awe before setting your jaw and yelling, “We need to keep moving! We’re right in their line of battle.”

Your cry fell on deaf ears as the ground beneath you shifted and, from the stone behind you, a third stone giant emerged, trapping you and your friends on its knees as it moved forward to join the rock throwing battle. All you could do was hang on and pray to all that is good and fair that they would either stop or that you all could get off before you either fell or collided with some form of solid stone.

As if some sprite of mischief had heard your plea and let his lips turn to a wicked smirk, the side of the mountain came rushing towards you as your giant’s balance faltered. You crammed your eyes shut for the impact, sending apologies to Gandalf out into the air in front of you, but soon found yourself in a pile on top of Bofur, having been safely deposited on a fortunately placed ledge.

You let out a relieved laugh, rolling off of the dwarf to recoup on the wet stone next to him. It wasn’t until you heard someone cry for Bilbo that you shot up, your smile at being alive falling to a worried frown which turned panicked, when he was found hanging off the nearby ledge. The dwarves quickly tried to heave him up but you could see they were going to need help. Hoping the tread on your boots would hold, you swung yourself down to a foothold in the cliff face so you could grab the back of his shirt.  Aided by Thorin on the other side, who had had much the same thought as you, you tugged him up to safety.

When Bilbo was safely up, you thought it was over but Thorin's footing and balance were not as sound as yours and within seconds he was in the same situation as Bilbo had been. Dwalin was quick to grab him as you dangerously shifted over to catch his other arm and yank him up towards you, feeling the strain on your injured shoulder but focusing on not letting your grip on him slip. You let go when Dwalin put all his weight into it and together you managed to get him far up enough that the others could help in tugging him on to the ledge. Thorin quickly turned to extend a hand to you and you took it gratefully, letting him heft you up to the ledge easily as you were fairly lightweight.

Feeling the shock of the moment hit you head on, you just sort of sat on the ground, heaving air into your lungs, with Balin already pressing at your shoulder. You were positive it hurt but you were too numb from the adrenaline and the cold to feel anything.

Dwalin huffed, “I thought we’d lost our burglar,” and Thorin growled, “He’s been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us.”

You didn’t catch Thorin’s harsh words towards Bilbo as Fili pulled you up and ushered you towards the nearby cave, an arm wrapped tightly around your waist as your steps proved to be shaky and unsure. You plopped down on a rock as the dwarves searched the cave, pressing a hand to the wall nearby while you calmed your breathing.

Something about this cave didn’t feel right but you were getting nothing from the walls or anything else you touched. Pulling your pack around and into your lap, you began to mull over if you should pull off one of your rune covered wrist cuffs to try again at full force. Oin interrupted your thoughts as he leaned to be eye level with you, “Balin says I should take a look at that shoulder lass. Thorin’s weight will have set back its progress.”

You nodded, pulling off your cloak, and then realized you were going to have to take off your shirt as well, turning to Oin, “If you’d give me just a minute, I’d rather not be indecent in a cave full of men.”  

He quickly turned away as you unfurled your blanket, wrapping it around yourself before pulling your shirt over your head and letting the blanket slide down so it covered your torso but your shoulders were bare.

“All right Oin, You can look now,” you murmured and he moved to remove the bandage from your shoulder and fix the damage that had been done by the stunt on the cliff face. You were fortunate it seemed as it had been nearly healed and the change wasn’t that bad, so you chatted with Oin as he worked. Being the promiscuous dwarf that he was, Kili smirked as his eyes trailed over the fair skin of your exposed shoulders, nudging Fili, “It is so easy to forget she is a fair maid but at times like this it is never more obvious.”

His brother chuckled softly, looking over you as well before giving a nod in another direction so that Kili would look there, “It would seem you are not the only one who’s noticed.”

It was true, some of the other dwarves were stealing glances, but the most noticeable was Bilbo, who was openly staring. Kili exchanged a glance with his brother and the two of them swept up behind the hobbit, “Like what you see, Bilbo?”

He startled, “W-what? N-no. I mean yes but no- no but-“

The pair burst into muffled laughter, so as not to draw your attention and subsequent wrath, and Kili hummed, “Tsk tsk tsk. You two seemed so cozy the other night and now you deny your interest. It would seem Master Baggins is a changeable man. She will be disappointed.”

Bilbo floundered, opening and closing his mouth a few times before deciding there was no good way to answer them and just setting his face in a peeved frown as his cheeks went red. Your voice cut through the cave sharply, “Fili. Kili. Do we have to have another ‘talk’ about how much I dislike it when you tease?”

The two ducked their heads, not having anticipated being caught, and shook their heads, “No, (F/n), we were just having a harmless chat. Right, Bilbo?”

The hobbit just nodded and you responded, “Good. Keep it as such.”

Once you were clothed again, you went back to examining the cave, absentmindedly tugging at one of your cuffs as your subconscious tried to warn you away from it. You considered removing the sturdy leather again but since you hardly ever did so you dismissed the idea that you should, if the cave wouldn't speak to you now it probably won't give you anything then either. You did, however, voice your concerns to Thorin in hushed whispers, “Thorin, I know this cave seems good shelter from the cutting storm outside but I cannot help but feel uneasy. It’s odd that it is empty and that is troubling enough without my skin crawling. We shouldn’t camp here.”

Stubborn as always, he shook his head, “The company needs rest and you are well aware the path ahead is treacherous enough without the rain. We stay.”

You hung your head and moved to walk away before he added, “But I will keep sharp in light of your unease. Now rest.”

Nodding, you went to flop down in-between Fili and Kili for the night with a heavy sigh, fingering your cuff again as you drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what happened with this chapter... a lot of running I guess. I relied heavily on movie dialogue for this too so credit to the screen writers of the hobbit where it is due.

I don’t belong.

That was all Bilbo could think as he lay on the floor of the cave. The only thing keeping him here was you and you didn’t need him, it seemed so plainly obvious to him it was painful. It couldn’t have been further from the truth, Bilbo kept you from your own demons in a way that no one else could, but he didn’t see that so he’d made a decision. This was the end of the road for him, he wasn’t going to be a burden on any of you anymore and he wasn’t cut out for the life of adventure- he was going back to Rivendell.

He waited for everyone to be asleep and then packed his things, pausing before walking out to look to you. You, Fili, and Kili had ended up in what could only be described as a pile with Kili’s head on your stomach and your legs across Fili’s chest. Fili was pulling Kili’s hair in his sleep and you had one hand thrown across Fili’s nose and mouth and the other shoving Kili’s face away as it shifted towards the dangerous territory of your chest. Even with what he was planning, Bilbo couldn’t help but give a soft chuckle at the three of you, messing with each other even in your sleep.

He turned away to weave his way out of the cave, reaching the entrance only to be stopped by Bofur, “Where do you think you're going?” 

He turned to face the dwarf, “Back to Rivendell.”

“No. No. You can't turn back now. You're part of the company. You're one of us.” Bofur insisted, a trace of panic seeping into his voice.

Bilbo’s look was that of entirely defeated disbelief, “I'm not now, am I? Thorin said I should have never have come and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door.”

The dwarf looked sympathetic as he soothed, “You're homesick. I understand.”

“No you don't. You don't understand. None of you do. You're Dwarves. Even (F/n) doesn’t. She can’t. You're used to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!” Bilbo quietly snapped, loosing himself as all his doubts and pains welled up in his chest. Bofur's expression immediately fell and the hobbit froze, realizing he’d gone too far, “I'm sorry, I didn't...“

The dwarf looked almost forlornly over his companions, stating flatly, “No you're right. We don't belong anywhere,” before turning back to Bilbo, surprisingly amicable as he let him go, “I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do.”

Bilbo moved to leave but Bofur stopped him, nodding to the slight blue glow coming from his short sword, “What’s tha’?”

Gandalf’s words ran through his head, ‘It will glow blue when orcs and goblins are nearby.’ No sooner had the thought passed, the floor gave out beneath them, sending the entire company barreling deep down into the mountain and dumping them into a pile on a rickety looking walkway.

You were immediately swarmed by goblins, shoving as many as you could off the nearby ledge in an attempt to get free, or at least not have the foul things touch you, but its effectiveness was limited as you were dragged off kicking and throwing punches.

The Goblin King was, in a word, revolting.

Fili and Kili tucked you behind them like the protective older brothers you'd come to think of them as, effectively keeping you out of sight as you were shorter and smaller than them. Your brain raced as you tried to think of a way out of this really terrible situation and you called out to Gandalf with your mind even though the link between the two of you rarely worked when it was you calling to him, you just didn’t have the power for that.

Your hair was suddenly around your shoulders when his lackeys were ordered to search you, one of the goblins ripping the clip Elrond had gifted you from where it was keeping up your usual ear-covering bun. Shoving your hair away from your face as your clip was tossed in the pile, the Goblin King demanded the dwarves speak their intentions and you were glad that your friends seemed to have their wits about them as they kept Thorin concealed. After a couple of attempts, you could see the Goblin King wasn’t buying their chatter and made a quick decision, grabbing Kili’s arm to heft him to the front, “I will give you the truth, your highness. My kin and I are traveling to Dunland to meet with the parents of my intended after having garnered the approval of my father in Rivendell. The silverware was a wedding present from him.”

“A wedding present from your elf father, you say?” the Goblin King thrummed, leaning in unpleasantly close as you tucked your hair behind your ear to make its point clearly visible and then pressed yourself against Kili’s chest. He caught your intentions, wrapping his arms tightly around you like a lover as he added to your lie, “Yes. We are to be wed in less than a fortnight… that is if you can set us back on the correct path to Dunland and my parents.”

The Goblin King scrutinized the two of you for a moment before barking out a laugh, “Oh how precious.  Lovers lost on the road,” and before Kili could do anything he had grabbed you and lifted you to dangle in his face by one arm. You mentally sighed, thinking about how ending up dangling in front of some nasty was beginning to be a theme in your life, as the Goblin King sneered at Kili, “A pretty little thing you have here, such a shame you can’t protect her.”

Kili moved to spring forward just as your cuff came loose and off, letting you slip from the giant goblin’s hand and to the floor as he yelled, “Lies of Spies! Very well. If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the girl! Make her intended hurl!”

The goblins sprang forward to do his bidding as you scrambled up and Kili tucked you close to him, backing towards the rest of the company. Thorin tried to put an end to the whole thing, stepping forward to reveal himself while you attempted to keep calm, tucking your hands in the folds of your clothes so you couldn’t touch anything or anyone- a precaution that mattered little when the goblins discovered Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver, and basically began to tear your party apart. You tried desperately to block out the glimpses of things you got from everything your fingers brushed against with little success when a flash of white light filled the cavern.

You’d never been more relieved to see Gandalf, grabbing your short swords from the pile when he demanded for the company to fight, he didn’t have to tell you twice and if your hands were filled with weapons, your weapons, you could focus. You followed when he called, running after him and the dwarves without a single question as to where in mind.

Fighting on the run left your thoughts a blur as you tried to stave off the relentless waves of goblins coming at you from every side. At one point you launched yourself off Thorin's shoulder to an upper level to deal with some archers before dropping back down next to Gandalf, slicing the head off an oncoming goblin as you did so. You exchanged quick grins before throwing yourselves back into the fray and on forward towards where ever Gandalf was leading you to. You ducked and dodged goblins, slashing, kicking, and shove with more fervor than ever before- being quick and light on your feet was a major asset in this moment. When the group stopped, you tried to recoup but quickly found yourself cornered and then falling along with the rest of you party, holding on for dear life yet again before running for the light of day.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actions lululululu...

When the dwarves came to a stop outside, you doubled over to catch your breath with your hands on your knees as Gandalf did a head count and quickly found Bilbo missing. You straightened, spinning to look for your friend while the others argued over whom he was supposed to be with and then Thorin angrily offered, “I’ll tell you what happened- Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He’s thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone.”

Anger flashed across your face as you shouted, “Enough!” and put yourself squarely in front of Thorin as you seethed, “He would not have done so, Bilbo Baggins is brave beyond what you give him credit for and as clever as the day is long. He is likely lost or was left behind in that mountain and needs our aid -If you will not give it because of your own ignorant lack of faith, I will go alone. I am _not_ leaving him behind.”

You turned and walked straight into Bilbo, who had been listening from behind a nearby tree using the prize he’d won from Gollum in the depths of the mountain, a simple golden ring that gave the wearer the power of invisibility. He steadied you as he declared, “No need for that, (F/n). I’m here.”

You blinked a couple of times and then threw your arms around his neck in gleeful relief, “I knew you wouldn’t leave us.”

He wrapped his arms around you in return and you leaned back to cup his face in your hands, “Are you alright? The goblins-“  

Stopping short you tensed, images flashing through your head as your fingers connected with his skin and you let out a soft shocked murmur, “You _were_ going to leave us.”

He startled and you quickly pulled yourself away, looking at him as if he’d betrayed you as you felt a hurt deep in your chest before the things in your head became overwhelming. You stumbled back, clawing at your forehead as you pressed your hands over your face, and Gandalf was by your side in an instant with the others closing ranks around you as he worried, “What is it, my dear girl?”  

You just shook your head, the curtain of hair around your face swaying, and gasped, “T-Too much.”

Gandalf guessed at what had happened, tugging at your sleeves to reveal one bare wrist before pushing the dwarves back with a sweep of his arms as he demanded, “No one touch her.”

He dropped to one knee in front of you, rummaging around in the folds of his robes as he soothed, “Block it out, little one. It will be over soon.” 

 

His hands reappeared as he produced a pouch, pulling a new leather cuff identical to the one you’d lost from it to hold out to you, “(F/n), your wrist please, my dear.”

You shakily offered your arm to him, letting him slip the cuff on and secure it tightly before standing and tucking you against his side as the dwarves let out a cacophony of questions, “She will be alright. Let us leave it at that until the time is better.”

They knew better than to question Gandalf and his tone sounded final, so Thorin turned to narrow his eyes at Bilbo while they let you recover, “Why did you come back?”

The hobbit tore his eyes away from you to respond, “Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right... I often think of Bagend. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong, that's home. That's why I came back... 'cause you don't have one, a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can.”

The dwarves seemed relieved and Gandalf proud but you still wouldn’t look at him, sticking close to your mentor, who had a comforting hand resting on top of your head as if you were a child. He couldn’t get the look on your face from before out of his head, wondering what you had seen as his heart ached unbearably. You were so angry at him but focused on trying to process the things in your mind, studying the ground. Your eyes flashed white for a fraction of a second, showing you a glimpse of orcs on a terrain similar to the one around you, and you tugged on Gandalf robes with an urgent hiss “We are being hunted.”

Just as you said it a warg howl erupted in the distance and the others geared up as Thorin huffed, “Out of the frying pan-

“And into the fire,” Gandalf finished before yelling, “Run!”

Despite the implications, you were glad for the distraction as you sprang down the mountainside with the dwarves. There was no way you could outrun the wargs on foot and when they caught up, you spun, skidding to a stop before leaping up over a warg that had its sights set on you to land on its back and slash its neck. You moved away from it only to trip and fall, quickly being pulled up by Gloin to continue on forward towards what turned out to be the edge of a cliff.

You were quick to swing yourself up into a tree along with the dwarves only to look back down from a few branches up to see Bilbo still on the ground, glancing up the hill at the oncoming warg pack before switching your ascent to a descent. Bilbo had just looked up from retrieving his sword, going wide-eyed at the advancing wargs, when your voice rang out from above him and he looked up to find you were offering him a hand, “Come on you, halfwit.”

He took it and you helped him to get up to the first branch, working your way up the tree again with him scrambling after you until you came to a stop, spotting the pale orc and cursing under your breath, “That’s not good.”

He followed your line of sight with curiosity while you turned to search the trees for Thorin as you grumbled, “Powers that be, keep him from acting rash.”

It seemed your plea was answered as, even with the taunting from Azog the Defiler, Thorin remained in the tree. Unfortunately, you were still at the mercy of the wargs and orcs below you and they wanted all of you dead. Not surprising really but it did make things complicated.

You found yourself immensely grateful that wargs could not climb trees, tugging Bilbo to you at the approach of the pack, “Hold tight and keep sharp. These trees have shallow roots and will not hold long.”

To your surprise he did one better, sandwiching you in-between him and the tree to keep both of you from falling as leaping wargs bombarded the trunk and branches below. You would have enjoyed the contact if you weren’t still angry with him and if your tree hadn’t quickly given way, toppling into the others to cause a sort of domino-like reaction until only Gandalf’s tree on the very edge of the cliff was still standing.

It creaked under the weight of the entire company when each member swung themselves into it as their own trees fell, and you found yourself on a lower branch with Bilbo, clinging to him with one arm and the tree with the other as you braced yourself for what might happen next. You heard your name from above and looked up just in time to catch a burning pinecone, spreading the fire to a few others in the hands of nearby dwarves and Bilbo before hurling it right into the fur of a warg below, watching it turn tail as it yelped with a satisfied grin. The fire spread quickly as you and the others lobed more flaming pinecones towards the wargs and the ground in front of them, keeping them from your tree, and you let out a light relieved laugh as the others cheered.

Your glee was short lived as the tree wobbled, causing you to sway dangerously before Bilbo caught your arm, and then went from vertical to horizontal, stretching it’s length dangerously out over the chasm below.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lululululu got through the first movie... now to move on... make things happy again... Give Bilbo some real love. As always credit where credit is due for the random bits of dialogue.

A horizontally hanging tree was honestly probably the worst place you could be right now but you were oddly calm, turning to back to look at Gandalf. You could see he had something planned but with dwarves hanging precariously off the tree and his staff, he was doubting whether it would play out in time. Bilbo had a supportive arm wrapped around your waist to keep you from falling and you let him keep it there even though you were hardly at risk of doing so.

Your head snapped around when you heard Kili yell, “Fili!” as he pounced to help his brother when the branch beneath him snapped. Simply acting instead of thinking, you launched yourself away from Bilbo, winding your legs around a branch as you caught Fili’s hands in yours. You gritted you teeth as you struggled with his weight and sighed internally- dangling… again.

You forced a grin at him, “Blimey you’re heavy. Thank the stars it wasn’t Bombur.”

He gave a weak chuckle as you closed your eyes to focus on your grip both on the tree and on him and you could hear Kili above you, “Hang in there, (F/n)!”

You couldn’t help but grin as you shot back sarcastically, “It’s not like I have very many other options besides to hang. In fact, I believe there is only one and I am not overly fond of it.”

Fili gave a soft chuckle as he added, “Nor am I.”  

You looked down at him, shifting your shoulders to get a better grip, and he blew some of your hair out of his face, “Has your hair always been so long, lass?”  

“It isn't any longer than yours”

“Yes. Well mine isn’t hanging in your face now is it? You should let Kili braid it some time. Might make him happy since, like a bairn, he doesn’t have a bread to braid.”

“I heard that,” Kili called down and you shook your head, if anyone could keep your spirits up in a terrible situation it was these two. You felt Fili’s grip on your arms slip slightly and growled down at him, “Don’t you dare let go of me, you oafish dwarf. I will never forgive you.”

He forced a grin at you, struggling not to slip any further, “Well we can’t have that can we?”

You began to shake from the exertion of holding up both yourself and a burly dwarf, looking back down at Fili. There was no way to hide from him that you were struggling but he still looked incredibly calm, pursing his lips for a moment before offering, “I’m sorry, (F/n)...”  

“What for?” you grunted.

“If we don’t make it-“

“Shut it you.”

He shook his head and you were surprised to see a small smirk cross his face, “It would be a shame for you to meet your end without giving our dear Master Baggins a proper kiss.”

You gritted your teeth at him, “Fili, you cheeky bastard, if I could hit you right now…”

He laughed, “I can just see his face- all red and flustered- Kili and I would never let him be.”

You glared at him, “We are both going to live just so I can kick your arse.”

Kili above you called, “Language, lass.”

Knowing you couldn’t last much longer, you glanced around to try and find an alternative to the situation, spotting a branch nearby, “Fili… swing to your left.”

He looked over and spotted the branch you had before looking back up at you, “Are you sure, lass?”

“Just do it”

He started to swing and you did the same, risking your grip on the branch above you to get him far enough that when he let go he could reach the branch, pulling himself up on it. As soon as he let go, you lost your grip but Kili was quick grab your leg to heft you up, pulling you over his branch, the one above yours, and then helping you move to sit on the more secure trunk of the tree as you followed the gaze of the other dwarves to where Thorin was advancing on the pale orc, tension filling the air.

It didn’t go well, even through the growing flames you could see that, but you nearly fell from your perch when you saw Bilbo go to his aid, feeling pride swell up amongst the shock at his courage. You knew he had it in him. The only problem was that now he was in a tight spot.

Your legs wobbled when you stood but your balance held, you weren’t going out without a fight and it seemed neither were the dwarves as the ones that could, joined your advance towards the orcs with a resounding battle cry. You ran straight at a warg sliding underneath it to slash its soft underbelly before running your sword through its orc rider from behind as you threw a dagger into the eye of another. You were a sight to behold wielding your blades but you certainly weren’t invincible- Bilbo spotted the warg coming at you from behind before you did as you were preoccupied with another in front, “(F/n)!” 

You spun and moved to slash at it but your knees gave way, weakened from hanging off the tree, and the dog-like creature sent you flying with a swipe of its paw before steering to follow and finish you. You were scrambling back, unable to regain your footing before it would get to you, when Bilbo skidded to a stop in between you and your aggressor, slashing his short sword in its face. It was this moment when Gandalf’s plan finally came through and the warg in front of you was taken up by a giant eagle, knocking Bilbo back into you as it went to throw it off the edge of the cliff.

You both watched in awe as the flock of eagles threw around orcs and wargs before beginning to collect the members of your party as you huffed, “Never doubt Gandalf.”

As it left your lips one of the great birds dipped to scoop the two of you up, dropping you off the edge of the cliff confidently so that you fell onto the back of another member of his flock. You felt Bilbo’s arms wind tightly around your waist and his cheek press to your back as the eagle lifted further into the air and left the cliff and its orcs behind. You stroked the soft feathers near you knee before letting out the breath you’d been holding, burying you fingers deeply into the feathers in front of you with one and resting the other on Bilbo’s thigh as you twisted to look for the rest of your party.

A worried frown settled on your face when you spotted Thorin’s lifeless form, exchanging an unsure glance with Bilbo, who had leaned back when you twisted. You faced forward again, searching the growing flock of eagles for the one carrying Gandalf as Bilbo returned his cheek to your back and tightened his hug on your waist when your eagle dipped down slightly. Your mentor’s eagle soon came into view next to yours and you silently communicated with him through a series of looks before looking forward to see your destination, a giant rock jutting out of the ground ahead of you.

The eagle landed to let you off and you joined the others around Thorin, not even sparing a passing glance at your hobbit friend- you were still angry with him after all. You didn’t even defend him as you usually would when Thorin thankfully woke and set in on him again, “You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed… Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wilds? That you had no place amongst us?”

Gandalf looked down at you with concern, noticing your change of attitude, and found you with your arms crossed and a conflicted frown upon your face as you looked anywhere but the scene in front of you and the flabbergasted face of your friend. He put a hand on your shoulder and you looked up at him as he nodded so that you would look just as Thorin enveloped Bilbo in a hug, “I have never been so wrong in all my life.”

You couldn’t stop the small smile that twitch at your lips as Thorin continued, “I am sorry I doubted you,” but quickly exchanged it for a scowl when Bilbo’s eyes met yours, looking away as he spoke, “No... No, I would have doubted me too. I’m not a hero… or a warrior… or even a burglar.”  

He wanted you to look at him the way you did before, with total trust, but you wouldn’t even meet his eye and he was glad for the distraction when Thorin spotted the Lonely Mountain off in the distance. Bilbo looked at it, noting the distance they still had to cover before sneaking a glance at you. It seemed that no one doubted him now except the only one who who’d never doubted him before. It was something he was going to have do his best to change, he looked back to the distant mountain- it looked like he was going to have plenty of time to try.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> INFO DUMP while you sleep on Papa Gandalf. lululululu... I'm following the book more so than the movie now since I wasn't overly fond of how they did Beorn. Expect a bit of a mix of the two from now on.

Once everyone had a moment to recover, Gandalf led the way towards what he claimed would be the company’s only potential source of provisions before they had to cross through Mirkwood forest. You kept yourself tucked close to him, trying to sort through all your thoughts as you focused on the ground in front of you- you could hear passing whispers of your name and feel questioning looks from the dwarves behind you but your minimal energy didn’t allow for any sort of explanation on your part.

When you stumbled and nearly fell, Gandalf frowned and did something that normally annoyed you to no end- he picked you up, pressing you against his shoulder like a small child. Your lack of protest only firmed his suspicions that you were likely on the verge of passing out and he gently hummed, “Rest, Little One. Should we run into trouble again we will need you at your best.”

The dwarves watched on in silence as you simply wound your arms around his neck and rested your cheek on his shoulder, almost instantly falling asleep as Gandalf continued on. You were light enough to not be very much of a burden and small enough that only one arm was needed to support you, so you didn’t slow the tall wizard down at all and Bilbo had to jog to catch up and ask, “She’ll be alright… Won’t she, Gandalf?”

The entire company went quiet in anticipation of an answer and Gandalf nodded, “It has been a long time since she has been faced with something as draining as this but she will recover before the sun hits its highest point in the sky.”

“We’ve fought harder and run further before and she was the least drained of any of us. Why is this time any different?” wondered Ori and Gandalf shook his head, “This was a draining of the mind, Master Dwarf. One that even I can never truly understand.”

“Will you explain?” Thorin ordered more than asked and Gandalf sighed, a hint of annoyance making its way into the sound, “I will when the time is better, Thorin.”

“You’ve already said that twice,” called Kili and there were resounding agreements all around before Gandalf responded, “Indeed I have but the time continues to be wrong.”

“And if it is never right?” Bilbo challenged and Gandalf looked over at him for a moment and then huffed, “A fair point, Mr. Baggins. Alright, I will tell you.”

The company quieted like children promised a bedtime story and your mentor adjusted his grip on you as he began, “(F/n)’s parentage gives her a rare gift- she is what most call a touch seer. It is perhaps as much of a burden as it is a gift and as such few live past childhood- making those that do even rarer still. She has the ability to glimpse images of things occurring elsewhere in the present and visions of the past- a skill that naturally happens and for most purposes is beyond her control- but cannot view the future. The more troublesome of her abilities is the one that gives her the title touch seer- any contact she has with anything at all on bare skin shows her visions of the object's or person's past and at times causes her to feel the same emotions as those it who have it touched before.”

He paused when you shifted to tuck the bridge of your nose against the arch of his shoulder, your elegant fingers gripping tightly at his robe, and once he was sure you wouldn’t wake he continued, “Her parents secluded her as a child, keeping her away from the world to protect her from what her abilities would show her, but when they were killed and she was left on her own- they nearly drove her mad. She’s a fighter through and through, this tiny maid…”

As if you could sense he was talking about you, your shifted closer to his neck so you were basically hugging him in your sleep and he fondly leaned his cheek on your head as he continued, “It was Radagast that informed me of her existence when she hid herself away in the forest he looks after a few years later. By the time I managed to locate her she had learned to block out her visions when it was truly important but still struggled immensely with what she could do… so I offered to help. That is when the wristlets were created and her apprenticeship began.”

“So those leather cuffs, keep her abilities in check?” Balin queried and Gandalf nodded, “They block out the visions that come from touching things unless what she touches is an item of high emotion… as you witnessed when she touched the banister in Lord Elrond’s study.”

Bilbo’s brows furrowed as he thought over all that and then looked up at Gandalf, “When she touched my cheek before… She saw my recent past?”

Gandalf gave him a disappointed but understanding look, “I’m afraid so, Bilbo. It was likely only a fleeting glimpse as her mind was already warring with everything else she’d touched but a glimpse all the same.”

The dwarves accepted this and went back to chatting amongst themselves, if they had more questions they would ask you later as you would give them a straighter answer then the wizard, but Bilbo pursed his lips and focused on the floor- no wonder you were so upset… if you had seen what he’d said to Bofur before... he shook his head, trying to clear it and focus on the path ahead and what he could do to make it right.

As Gandalf predicted you roused at midday with a soft groan, blinking against the light as you grumbled, “What in-“ before realizing your position and immediately squirming, “Spirits, Gandalf! What have I told you about carrying me?! I’m not a child- put me down this instant.”

There were soft chuckles from the dwarves and a deep reverberating one from your mentor as he hummed, “It was necessary, my dear. You were moments from ending up face down in the dirt.”

He set you down, your face a steady scarlet, and you quickly straightened your clothes, “Yes. Well. Don’t ever do it again.”

“I will avoid it if I can, (F/n),” he offered, trying hard to stifle a laugh at the look on your face, and you harrumphed and turned on your heel, getting a bit ahead of them to walk off your embarrassment.

Gandalf shook his head as the corner of his mouth twitched up, calling, “Do not stray too far ahead, (F/n), you do not know the path.”

You popped out from behind a tree, having disappeared momentarily into the forest, and quirked an eyebrow, “We are heading for Beorn’s lands are we not? Radagast speaks highly of him- the skin changer… I know more than you think, Gandalf.”

Before he could respond you’d ducked away again, calling from somewhere unknown, “I should think the rest of our party would fancy a rest at the river a ways ahead- I will meet you there.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beorn done correctly my friends... I've alway imagined him like a giant version of King Leonidas (played by Gerard Butler) from 300... Any one agree?
> 
>  
> 
> The movie took so much of the cleverness of Gandalf out of this scene... I don't really understand why. They put in extra action I guess- but it honestly didn't need it. Whateves. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also Bilbo saw you naked... and liked it. Naughty Hobbit.

When they reached the river a little less than an hour later, you were waiting diligently atop a tall rock with your chin rested on your bent knee while your other leg dangled over the edge. You dropped down next to Gandalf when Thorin announced you would camp here for a while and then started wandering upriver, prompting Fili to call, “Where are you headed, lass?”

You turned and gave him a lopsided grin, “To find a place to clean up away from the prying eyes of cheeky dwarves. If you value your life, I suggest you do not follow.”

You continued on as Gandalf chuckled and Thorin tugged the ears of the two princes, who had grown twin mischievous smirks, ordering in a warning tone, “You will not follow her and if you defy me, do not expect me to rescue you from her wrath.”

“You may as well clean yourselves up to keep your minds off it, lads,” Balin grinned, motioning to the river as the other dwarves stripped down.

Moments later you could hear their splashing and laughter, shaking your head as you ventured upstream to try and find a peaceful place to wash away the events of the past few days. You found your haven a short while later, stumbling upon a calm inlet just off the main river that housed a nice looking pool and a small waterfall born of a stream joining the river.

You did a quick assessment of the area, ever cautious for the dangers that could lurk nearby, and then slowly peeled off every layer of clothing to wash it in the cool water as best you could, laying it on a wide rock to dry in the strong midday sun when you were done. With that taken care of, you could fully enjoy yourself, diving into the pool from a rock at its edge and lazily swimming towards the waterfall. You used the pressure of the gushing water to rinse out your hair and get off some off the tougher grime before ducking behind the sheet of water, giggling happily when you found that, like most waterfalls in Middle Earth, there was a small shallow cave and ledge behind it. The ledge turned out to be the perfect place to finish your clean up as the water shielded you from the prying eyes of any dwarves slow enough to not have heeded your warning and you could sit on it with your legs still dangling in the water as you gave everything a good scrub.

Once you were clean, you slipped back out into the pool with the grace of a water sprite, enjoying how the water cradled your aching body and the feeling of being clean, and then picked a spot on a flat rock to bask in the sun. Its wavy rays warmed you most pleasantly, drying your wet skin quickly, and you would have fallen asleep with your hair fanned out around you had a call not broken the calming sounds of the forest.

Bilbo had been sent, rather unwillingly, to retrieve you so the company could continue on before night started to settle in. He flitted through the forest in an attempt to find you without calling too much attention to himself and ended up stumbling upon your haven entirely by accident. His eyes landed on your clothes first, a knowing blush settling across his face, and before he could stop himself, his gaze had already found your slender form stretched out on the flat rock.

He gulped as his throat went dry and his eyes traced the curved line of your body, admiring the way the sun reflected off your pale skin and made it glow. They lingered a moment longer as he wondered how you always managed to hide the prominent curves and dips of such a distinctly feminine figure and then he snapped them shut. He quickly reminded himself he was a respectable hobbit and as such should not look upon you so rudely nor think lewd thoughts as he was, turning away from you and scrunching his eyes even more tightly shut. Taking a few deep breaths, he deliberately thought of ghastly things to calm the distinctive bulge in his trousers before calling out your name.

You bolted up from your rock, covering your breasts as you prepared to thrash whoever intruded on your privacy, but then spotted Bilbo fidgeting uncomfortably with his back to you. Despite your anger towards the hobbit, you couldn’t help but give a soft giggle at his obviously flustered position and hoped that he hadn’t seen more than your clothes as you slipped off the rock, responding to his call, “Keep those eyes closed and your back turned, Mr. Baggins. I am far from decent.”

“Of course,” he nodded quickly and patiently waited for you to pull on your clothes. You straightened yourself out after putting on your first layer of clothing before pulling on the soft dark violet tunic without bothering to tuck it into the light grey pants as you normally did. It was more comfortable to let the short sleeve tunic hang loose around your hips even without your usual stacked belts, relying instead on the straps of your short swords to keep it from riding up. You lamented the loss of your hair clip, shoving the long locks from your face as you slipped your feet into your boots. Once they were laced, you secured your short swords tightly on your hips, going a couple notches further in on the buckle then you normally did to make up for the lack of belts, and shook out your hair as you strode past Bilbo.

“Don’t doddle,” you called when he didn’t move, sure that if you’d turned to him, you would have caught him staring. Upon hearing his light footsteps, you picked up a steady pace to get back to the dwarves and Bilbo sighed, noting that you were still very upset with him as the walk back was almost painfully silent and you stayed a few paces ahead of him.

Fili and Kili snickered at the two of you when you finally met up with the dwarves and you rolled your eyes, giving Fili a playful shove as you murmured, “You are only jealous that you were not sent- let your poor burglar alone.”

You had tried to keep your voice low enough that he would not hear you defending him but his hearing was on par with yours and he picked it up all the same, breaking into a grin- there was hope after all!

The dwarf princes grilled him for details as discreetly as possible as the company crossed the river and continued on the path but Bilbo kept your honor intact, claiming that he saw nothing- not even a bare toe.

You, on the other hand, were entirely preoccupied with the new flora and fauna that was beginning to appear along with bees the size of your pressed-together fists and Gandalf finally had to restrain you from wandering off in curiosity to avoid alerting your intended host of your presence prematurely. It wasn’t too much of a loss since there was plenty for you to observe from where you were- the tales Radagast had told you of this place did not do it justice. You doubted that it was ever possible that they could have in the first place as you sucked in the sweet air and admired the varieties of clover lining the path.

Reaching a hand out toward one of the many fluffy looking bees going about its business, you and Bilbo had a similar thought- should one of these sting you (or him) would you double in size from the swelling?

You didn’t particularly want to find out, retracting your hand, and Gandalf came to an abrupt stop, “Beorn is a man who does not desire the company of others and dislikes visitors so we must introduce ourselves slowly. His temper is fierce like the bear he often roams as and angering him will end in tragedy so I suggest you be as polite as you can. On my call or whistle come after me in pairs of two with a five minute gap between each set.”

He looked to you for a moment, narrowing his eyes, “Can I trust you not to wander off, (F/n)? It will be tempting to explore once his lodgings are in sight.”

“It wounds me that you would doubt me so, Gandalf,” you cried, placing a hand over your heart in mock injury as you smirked, and he gave a closed-lip smile, “Then, my dear, you will come last, after Bombur who is fat enough to count for two.”

You nodded in agreement and he beckoned to Bilbo, “Come on, Mr. Baggins.”

Gandalf found the skin-changer and after introducing himself and Bilbo, began the tale of your trial with the goblins, incrementally increasing the number of dwarves in his telling before each new pair appeared to not only peak Beorn’s interest in the story with the numerous pauses but to also ease into the number of people really in your company.

The skin-changer was in a much more jovial mood by the time Bombur arrived then when he'd started and Gandalf slyly continued, “Now we were on the peak of the cliff, the trees burning around us and our little hobbit friend in a bad position, when my apprentice let out a battle cry, raising her swords in the air as her hair whipped around her face.”

The man let out a deep, loud laugh, “Her? Surely you mean your apprentice to be a he, wizard. I see no maids among these dwarves.”

Gandalf acted surprised, looking over the group, and the exclaimed, “Right you are! It would seem she has become shy. I will call her.”

You heard your mentors whistle and gaily bounded to join them, seeing what he had meant about the temptation as soon as you grew close enough. There were sprawling gardens dotted with stables, barns, and sheds all just begging to be explored and, in the center of it all, a long low wooden house. You slowed to observe, noting the horses and ponies that grazed freely, and thought of Blossom before skipping to your destination.

None of Radagast’s descriptions could have prepared you to meet your host without a great deal of awe. He was a giant of a man with a jet-black beard and mess of hair, towering over even Gandalf, and could have easily cradled you in one arm like a newborn. You bowed deeply before exclaiming, “Come on now, Gandalf. Do not keep the poor man waiting on my account. Get on with it.”

Your impatient host let out a bark of a laugh that shook the whole room before heartily agreeing, “Listen to this little flower, wizard. Tell me what happened after she let out this battle cry! Though it can’t have been much of a battle cry when coming from one so small.”

You grinned proudly and slid in between Fili and Kili to listen to the rest of the story and study your host- everything had gone according to plan and you would now have a place to sleep tonight.  
  



End file.
